Water reprieve for 150 farmers, but others left waiting
© Tim Scrivener More than 150 farmers across Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire will be able to resume limited water abstraction after the NFU and farmers raised urgent concerns with the Environment Agency (EA) this week.
The EA confirmed at an NFU-organised meeting on Wednesday that water restrictions imposed earlier this month will be eased for a portion of the 240 growers originally affected.
The move follows a significant backlash after Farmers Weekly revealed exclusively that abstraction was halted without warning on 3 July in the Ely Ouse catchment, amid ongoing drought conditions.
See also: Complete water abstraction ban hits grower with no warning
However, Norfolk farmer Tim Young, who first raised concerns about the sudden abstraction ban, will not benefit from the lifted restrictions, as his licence remains excluded despite repeated appeals to the EA.
“My frustrations with the EA continue. I was told at the meeting on Wednesday that they would get back to me within hours and, three days later, I still haven’t heard back from them,” said Mr Young, who farms 182ha at Grange Farm, Thetford.
Mr Young, who grows onions, sugar beet and cereals, said the ban puts his best-looking onion crop at serious risk of disease and yield loss, if he cannot irrigate it.
Under new temporary rules, abstraction will be allowed on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday nights between 6pm and 6am for two weeks, after which it will be reviewed. But the wait for Mr Young and others continues.
Bigger issues – NFU
NFU vice-president Rachel Hallos welcomed the progress but warned of bigger issues.
“This was a huge and very immediate concern for many of our members,” she said.
“We’re pleased to have secured a rapid solution for some, but we must now focus on long-term resilience.”
She added: “The scale of the damage from this dry spell is horrendous. Some farm businesses may never recover.
“If we’re serious about food security, we need investment in water infrastructure and policy change.”
An EA spokesman said East Anglia’s rivers remain critically low and urged all users to manage water wisely.
Affected farmers will receive confirmation letters by Friday 18 July, the agency added.