Planning for future water needs with vital resource under pressure

Farmers and growers are invited to the meeting which comes amid concerns there could be significant reductions in the amount of water available in the future to grow and irrigate crops including on the Rivers Avon and Tame.

They will join Water Resources West (WRW) and the NFU on 13 February at Hawford, over the border in Worcestershire, for a discussion about the importance of future water supplies and the support available to farms interested in forming county abstraction groups.

The event, from 2pm to 4pm, at the Young Farmers’ Centre, Shires Farm, will give those who attend the chance to ensure food production remains at the heart of any future water plans in the face of climate change, increasing environmental ambitions, population growth and changes in the way people use the resource.

The current project has identified nine catchments which face water pressures including the two Warwickshire rivers, Worcestershire Middle Severn, Herefordshire Wye, Shropshire Middle Severn and others.

Emma Hamer, NFU county adviser, said: “With the global population set to increase to over 9.5 billion by 2050, there will be significant and increasing competition for this precious resource.

“Water is critical for livestock and crop production, but farmers’ ability to maintain and increase efficient, high quality food production is being threatened by growing competition for water, climate change, severe weather events and ageing and inadequate infrastructure.

“If abstraction licenses were removed or severely reduced it could have a huge impact on our ability to grow food for people to eat.

“We have opened the meeting to all farmers and growers and will ask them to consider what impact pressures on our water supply would have on their businesses and what can be done to safeguard it.

“With Water Resources West planning for the future and wanting to work with the sector it is a prime opportunity to come together to ensure water is available for agricultural and horticultural use in the years ahead.

“Farmer involvement will help influence the agricultural elements of regional water resources planning into the future so I would urge everyone to come along.”

WRW has said it remains keen to promote the development of water abstraction groups, bringing farmers who take water from local sources together to navigate local water challenges.

They are currently developing a regional long-term, multi-sector, adaptive, water resources plan covering the catchment.

Sarah Faulkner, WRW agricultural lead, will be at the meeting and she brings a wealth of experience and knowledge of agricultural collaboration and abstraction to the table.

A former NFU policy manager and environment and land use adviser, she will be a guest speaker alongside farmer Kate Mayne, of Faulkner & Mayne Sustainable Agriculture Ltd, Paul Henderson, from WRW and NFU water specialist Mark Betson.

To book a place contact the NFU Midlands Hub on 02476 939402 or [email protected] by email.