Simon Groves, Principal Consultant, reviews why landowners need to prepare for unpredictable water supplies and ensure farms are prepared for future droughts.
The agricultural industry represents around 2 per cent of abstracted water resource in the UK, although most of this demand is at a time of the year when water is in short supply and is focused on water stressed areas in the south of the country. Localised pressures on agricultural water supplies can therefore be very significant.
Half of the water used by the agriculture industry in the UK is for irrigation and around half of that is applied to potato and vegetable crops. Potato farmers in particular rely heavily on irrigation to avoid scab which reduces quality and develops rapidly if crops are not watered regularly.
Industry bodies, such as the Fruit and Vegetable Taskforce, recommend that growers should make efficient use of available water supplies through on-farm reservoirs and uptake of new techniques. Whilst the government is also encouraging farmers towards on-site reservoirs, the cost is likely to deter many investors. Alternatively, growers could look at collaborating with other farmers over water storage as one way of reducing costs.
Recent dryer weather in the south has even seen farmers irrigating cereals, which usually is not needed, to maintain yields. This means many are pushing their abstraction limits and having difficulty in ensuring adequate supplies for priority crops. It is vital that users maximize the effective use of water. ADAS is helping many growers to ensure efficient use of water through deciding whether installing a reservoir is the best strategic decision and providing advice on irrigation scheduling and soil measurements.
With further dry summers predicted, and increasing competition from other sectors, the impact of water availability and the cost to farm businesses is set to rise.
For more information please contact Simon Groves on 01623 848365 or email Simon.Groves@adas.co.uk.