Regulatory changes continue at pace for agricultural abstractors. Defra and the Environment Agency continue to seek ways to improve future water resources management for all, but the questions we continue to ask are, given the profound expected change:

Can irrigators get a fair share of our nation's water resources?

Or are we seeing the gradual demise of irrigated farming in the UK?

How will agriculture fit into the new National Water Framework to be published this spring 2020?

How does agricultural abstraction fit within the new catchment management strategy as managed by the Rivers Trust? Is this an opportunity for farmers to engage in securing water for agriculture?

Irrigated agriculture still does not have a strategy - do we need one?

Droughts are never far away. Should we stop blaming climate? Says Mike Muller, South Africa

Are we eating ourselves out of water? Says Tim Hess, Cranfield University

A full programme of top-class speakers to try and answers these key questions.

Chairman: Guy Poskitt farmer

Simon Moody Deputy Head of Water Resources Environment Agency Simon will present the new National Water Framework due for publication this spring, outline plans for implementation, and how agriculture fits within this integrated approach to managing the nation's water resources.

Barry Bendall Land & Water Director The Rivers Trust Barry leads the Trust's work as managers of the Environment Agency's initiative to adopt local catchment management and testing options in priority catchments. He will review progress and how agricultural abstractors can engage in this process.

Lindsay Hargreaves Managing Director Fredrick Hiam Ltd and Director of Water Resources East Ltd Lindsay will offer his sharp insights from a farming perspective on current developments including the new Water Framework, progress with local catchment management, and Water Resources East.

Jamie Hannaford Principal Hydrologist Centre for Ecology and Hydrology Jamie is well known to the farming community through his work on drought management. He will present his latest research on near real-time monitoring of rivers which could provide farmers with state of the art information on rivers flows and the likelihood of abstraction restrictions.

Nicola Dunn AHDB Nicola will present the work of AHDB on their irrigation research and the trials they are running for farmers on drip, boom, and raingun irrigation

Guest speaker is Prof Mike Muller from South Africa

Mike says we should stop blaming climate change for the ills of the water sector and talks about those dominating the water sector as Lions and Hyenas. So what are his thoughts on UK water resources and who are our lions and hyenas?

Prof Jerry Knox Cranfield University and UKIA Hon Sec Jerry and UKIA colleagues have been working on a strategy for water for irrigation in the UK. He plans to use this conference to launch the strategy which is due for publication in February.

Prof Tim Hess Cranfield University Tim is an agricultural hydrologist who works with the food industry and most recently assessed the risks that water scarcity brings to our food imports from other countries. He asks are we eating ourselves out of water?

Members and non-members welcome

Stand space available for exhibitors contact Ruth r.gage@ukia.org