Farmers and growers honoured in water efficiency awards
Water saving tactics by farm businesses were so commendable that judges decided to honour every finalist in an NFU sponsored awards ceremony.
The 2007 Environment Agency Water Efficiency Awards recognised all four water conscious companies which had made it through to the final in the Agriculture and Horticulture category.
L F Papworth, Natures Way Foods Ltd, Place UK and Tamar Nurseries achieved significant reductions in water usage with a variety of initiatives during a hot and dry 2006.
NFU deputy president Meurig Raymond, who presented the awards, said: "We are delighted to be working with the Environment Agency again in recognising the excellent work that our farmers and growers are undertaking in water efficiency activities.
"All four finalists showed that they had saved significant quantities of water first and foremost. They also recouped their outlay either financially or by noticeable improvement to their business and also had other spin off benefits for the environment or their business.
"It gives me great pleasure to announce that all the finalists were deemed to be winners and therefore worthy of a commendation. This certainly shows the strength of applications received and the commercial and environmental importance of water efficiency in the agricultural and horticultural sectors."
L F Papworth, which has a number of interests including cereals, potatoes, livestock and an abattoir, reduced both water and energy usage through detailed irrigation work with Cambridge University Farms and Cranfield University.
Natures Way Foods Ltd, which produces pre-packed salads and vegetables for supermarkets and catering companies, has changed its practices to recycle 98 per cent of waste water into reservoirs to irrigate salad crops.
Soft fruit growers Place UK continued its drive towards water efficiency by buying their own soil moisture measurement equipment so workers would know the best time to irrigate.
Tamar Nurseries, which grows hardy plants for the commercial and retail sectors, made its nursery more efficient with a variety of improvements including raised beds and an underground irrigation system.
The awards ceremony, held at the Energy Clinic in central London, was also attended by Environment Minister Ian Pearson and Environment Agency chief executive Barbara Young.
Mr Pearson said: "The appreciation of water as a precious resource which we need to use wisely is a relatively new concept and is still a challenging idea for many. But as we face the inevitable changes brought by climate, population growth and consumer habits it is one we are increasingly unable to ignore."
