It was great seeing members at Kent County Show in early July. Thanks to everyone who came along to meet your group secretaries, NFU representatives and Warners Law on our stand.
The weather for the show was hot and dry, and water availability remains a major concern across the county.
Thousands of homes and businesses have experienced widespread water disruption, low pressure and intermittent outages.
Reservoir levels have dropped and drinking water has been scarce. Many areas have seen water bottle banks set up.
At its peak nearly 22,000 homes were impacted, and farmers have been unable to give vital drinking water to calves or to water crops.
If you would like local street updates visit the South East Water AquAlerter Map.
If you are supplied by South East Water and keep livestock, please regularly check water trough supplies at all locations. With intermittent supplies, there is a risk troughs can run dry.
For updates on the latest water supply situation, keep up to date by visiting South East Water’s website.
To ‘have your say’ and feed into the South East Water draft Drought Plan for 2027-2032 please see the public consultation on its website.
Southeast TB meeting
Two members from the counties of East Sussex, West Sussex, Kent and Surrey who have dairies and livestock met with an NFU specialist policy adviser, APHA, local vets, FCN and Hurst Animal Health on 1 June to discuss key concerns and to get disease updates.
Rural Crime
At this time of year there are lots of boot fairs and markets. There has been a spate of thefts of tools and smaller machinery items that can be sold at these events.
Please be vigilant. Mark up your tools and lock them away securely.
Mental health - Yarn In A Barn lunch club
FCN, RABI, Kent Trading Standards and the local Ashford NFU office have got together to launch a new lunch club for anyone in our rural communities. The aim is to support and improve mental wellbeing in the local area, with a Yarn in A Barn style social eating together. It will be run on a monthly basis on the second Thursday of each month at 12.30pm. The venue is Perry Court Farm Shop, A28, Canterbury Road, Bilting TN25 4ES.