The NFU has responded to the publication of the Water White Paper yesterday, welcoming it as an opportunity to work with farmers and growers and the government to identify specific and appropriate measures to move to a more sustainable water regime.
The paper, launched by Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman, confirmed the government’s valuation of water as a precious resource and contained few surprises, said NFU water policy adviser Jenny Bashford.
She said: “The NFU and its members recognise the way water is used and managed needs to change. Farmers and growers stand ready to play their part in moving to a more sustainable water management regime, as this is critical to secure and extend domestic food supply and quality.
“The White Paper contains a number of measures that are welcome, such as those encouraging investment and innovation and water efficiency.
“However, the NFU does have significant concerns which we feel need to be addressed.
“In particular, we are concerned about government encouraging a single market in abstraction licence trading, because it could lead to a potential haemorrhaging of agricultural water rights. To guard against this, the NFU has long called for ring-fenced water for farmers and growers who use such a small proportion, just one per cent, of abstracted water.
“We are also cautious about the statement about extrapolating from the 70 catchment scale pilot projects into a national scheme - water is a local issue and a ‘one size fits all’ policy approach will not deliver sustainable water management. In our view, Defra and the Environment Agency need to understand better how water moves through different ‘families’ of catchments, for the approach to produce the intended outcomes.
She added that the NFU recognised there is much to do on the long term reform of the abstraction regime, and that the process could lead to the identification of real opportunities, such as seasonal exchange of water rights access within the farming sector.
However, we find little comfort in the few details that have been proposed, which seem to indicate that water costs will rise, particularly in areas where supply is short and demand is high, and that farmers will be encouraged to sell their abstraction licences when they are not growing a crop that needs irrigating.
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n summary, the NFU was pleased to see:
- References to incentives for funding to encourage water efficiency and management measures by farmers.
- The commitment to take forward the new ‘catchment-based approach’ - evidence so far indicates it encourages real partnership working and delivery of benefits to farmers and society.
- The intention to provide clearer guidance from Defra to help farmers and growers understand how to safeguard local water quality – this was something asked for by respondents to the NFU’s recent five-year water survey.
- The announcement of a £3.5 million innovation competition in water security to be launched by the Technology Strategy Board in March next year.
- A commitment to look at sources of pollution other than agriculture, such as private wastewater facilities and abandoned metal mines.
- The full Water White Paper – Water for Life – can be viewed here.
- Visit our water channel here.
- See also: Water Watch: Latest update 05 Dec 2011
The predominantly dry weather continues, two water companies have applied for Drought Permits and a further application has been made to the Secretary of State for a Drought Order.
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