The NFU organised the visit against the backdrop of the driest six months to July since 1976, leading to ‘nationally significant’ water shortfalls and restrictions on abstraction from rivers including around the Cam and Ely Ouse areas.
The NFU has been working closely with EA nationally, and locally, to highlight the challenges farmers are facing due to the restrictions.
As part of this work, EA leads Mima Bordman (water resources resilience), Simon Roe (drought adviser), Ereck Chibuwe (project manager) and Rob Bakewell (East Anglia team leader) went on farm to meet Cambridgeshire County Chair Alison Morris, Tim Young of J S Young Farms and Nick Allpress of Allpress Farms to talk through what they have been facing.
NFU National Water Resources Specialist Mark Betson said: “As the dry weather continues to place significant pressure on water resources, building constructive relationships between abstractors and EA has never been more important.
“This was a useful meeting for all those involved.
“Improving communications was a key topic of conversation during the day, including discussing how to develop more integrated and rapid systems that can alert abstractors plus water abstractor groups to better relay information and undertake collaborative farmer action.”