²ÝÁñÉçÇø

New study reveals farm water fears

Survey finds 40 per cent of abstractors impacted by drought

clock • 1 min read
Three quarters of respondents said they had been impacted by last year's drought
Image:

Three quarters of respondents said they had been impacted by last year's drought

More than 90 per cent of businesses which abstract water believe their water use will increase by 2050, with three quarters of those saying their business would be significantly impacted if their abstraction licence was reduced, a new survey has revealed.

Water Resources West (WRW) this week released the results of its new survey, to understand the water resources issues faced by farmers and other businesses with water abstraction licences.

Researchers said it is the first survey of its kind and the findings have highlighted not only the problems abstractors face but also a desire from those industries to work together locally to improve water resources.

See also: Droughts and costs hitting Spanish farms

The survey was sent to 2,500 non-public water supply abstractors. Of those, one third said their business was already constrained by the amount of water they can abstract; nearly 40 per cent were affected by drought last year and three-quarters of businesses said they would experience a major or significant impact if their abstraction licence was reduced by 25 per cent; while 94 per cent thought their water use will increase by 2050.

The study also revealed only one per cent of abstractors are currently part of a local abstractors group, but over two-thirds of abstractors show an interest in working with others.

Richard Blackwell, director of Water Resources West, said: "Our role as WRW is to support collaborative planning so that all sectors can have access to the water they need, in a way that protects the environment. We were encouraged that over two-thirds of abstractors showed an interest in working with others. These results are extremely useful to inform the work we will need to undertake together."

Delaval Blue Diamond 32/32

£±Ê°¿´¡

Milking Equipment

£±Ê°¿´¡

FOR SALE IN CALF & FRESH CALVED HEIFERS &

£±Ê°¿´¡

More on Arable

CropTec 2024: Insights and in-depth discussions to help arable farm businesses navigate new landscapes

CropTec 2024: Insights and in-depth discussions to help arable farm businesses navigate new landscapes

Heading to CropTec? Do not miss out on hearing from industry experts on how to get through a challenging time

clock 26 November 2024 • 1 min read
Wheat area to rise for harvest 2025

Wheat area to rise for harvest 2025

Alex Black
clock 23 November 2024 • 3 min read
How one of England's largest arable farms is aiming for net zero

How one of England's largest arable farms is aiming for net zero

With industry aiming to reach net zero by 2040, one of England’s largest arable farms is putting systems in place to achieve this.

clock 21 November 2024 • 6 min read