The NFU has appointed a national water resources adviser. The union said it took the measure due to concerns over water management policy, most of which were raised during the drought period between spring 2011 and the early months of this year. Over half of England was in a state of drought at the beginning of what was to become the wettest spring on record.

The union’s new water advisor, Paul Hammett, a former environmental policy adviser for the NFU in East Anglia, described the 2011-12 drought as a “near miss” for growers, with rain arriving just in time. He said that lessons must be learnt from the drought.

Hammett said, “The drought has concentrated the minds of everyone involved. Farmers are looking again at the security of their water and Government is listening. The time is right to come up with some clear ideas about what we expect Government and others to deliver and what we expect farmers to do for themselves.”

Water scarcity is expected to become more of an issue in the UK over the coming years, especially in the South East. Although the NFU is pushing for more water resources to be made available to farmers, the government has pointed out that it sets limits on abstraction because enough water must be available to support wildlife and for use by other industries including power generation. The government has pledged to improve its transparency and reporting, informing farmers when water can be safely abstracted during times of scarcity.  

However, although the level of scrutiny on water companies increased at the height of the drought, little progress appears to have been made in efforts to reduce wastage. As much as one in every six litres of water is wasted in the UK before it reaches consumers, according to OFWAT.

On top of weather-related issues, the Government’s Water White Paper signals its intention to implement wholesale revision of how water is allocated to different users. It means farmers must be prepared for long-term changes to both licences and the cost of water.

Hammett said, “There are no easy answers, but it is clear that we need to work in partnership with all those who have an interest in water – from the Government and its agencies and conservation groups, to other users such as the public water companies and the buyers of farm products such as processors and retailers.”

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