Warwickshire farmers meet to discuss pressure on water supplies from the Avon and other sources

Concerns over inadequate water supplies will be the focus of an upcoming farmers’ meeting

Warwickshire farmers will focus on water challenges and the availability of the crucial resource for food production at a meeting on Thursday, 13th February, in Worcester.

Farmers with abstraction licenses - permission to draw water from a supply, such as local rivers - are concerned over future limitations, especially with the impact of climate change.

They will discuss concerns there could be significant reductions in the amount of water available in the future to grow and irrigate crops including on the River Avon and Tame in Warwickshire.

Water Resources West (WRW) and the NFU will be there to look at future water supplies and the support available to farms interested in forming county abstraction groups.

A current project has identified nine catchments which face water pressures including the Warwickshire Avon Tame, Shropshire Middle Severn, Herefordshire Wye, Worcestershire Middle Severn, and others.

Emma Hamer, NFU spokesperson, 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.”

To book a place contact the NFU Midlands Hub on 02476 939402 or nfu_midlands@nfu.org.uk by email.