Great News: We have up to 10 places FREE for U35s

Applications close on Monday 6 February 2025

The Jack Wright Memorial Trust are offering 10 FREE places to young professionals (U35s) making their career in agricultural water management and would like to attend this conference

10% EARLYBIRD DISCOUNT FOR REGISTRATIONS BEFORE END OF JANUARY
ACCESS DISCOUNT WITH CODE : UKIA

THE CONFERENCE

As concerns grow over future farm water supplies, some farmers have already had their abstraction licences cut, some even revoked. More cuts are likely as licences are reviewed to secure future water supplies.

But all is not doom and gloom. we are devoting this conference to exploring the practical ways in which farmers are responding to these threats to their business.

Farmers are not just forming water abstractor groups (WAGs)to protect their interests they are taking control and responsibility to secure their share of available water resources. WAGs are hiring water experts, gathering data, running computer models to better understand water available in their catchments and producing evidence to negotiate and defend their abstraction rights.

The Environment Agency is supporting farmer-initiated efforts by funding scoping studies to explore local rsource options (LROs): capturing flood water, excess drainage water and harvesting rainwater, bringing in expert advice, gathering data, and assessing and costing technical options that can increase farm water resilience. Some 20 studies are underway across the country involving over 100 farmers.

Come and hear the inital findings from the studies. Also how agriculture is becoming an integral part of national water resources planning and how farmers are also enhancing their aquatic environment.

Listen to Tim Place, a Norfolk soft fruit grower who lost six licences. Yet he has secured an alternative and reliable water supply which has saved his high value soft fruit businesss.

PLUS a surprise farmer visitor from Australia who knows all about severe water shortages from which we can learn valuable lessons. We are not alone in the world of drought!

Ken Bray Hunter Vineyards New South Wales: Ken is an experienced irrigator and farms in the famous Hunter valley, the birthplace of Australian wines and the largest wine region in New South Wales. Like most farmers he faces water shortages and drought and has concerns about his future water security challenges.

To be announced: Environment Agency: Senior representative on policy and latest
developments in the new national water strategy to be published in 2025

Mima Boardman Water Resources Resilience Environment Agency: will review progress on 20 local resource options (LROs) screening studies funded by the Agency.

Steve Moncaster Water for Food (WfF): Steve will update on forming WAGs, farmer involvement in future water resources planning at local, regional, and national levels, plus an undated version of UKIA publication Thinking about a water abstractor group?

Matthew Ellison Kisters: you cannot manage water if you do not measure it says Matthew who will describe recent experiences in instrumenting catchments and farms to gather data for effective water management and decision-making.

Megan Hudson Fenland Soil and Martin Hammond Farmer: does Paludiculture offer an
opportunity for maintaining profitable use of lowland peat soils in the Fens whilst significantly reducing GHG emissions associated with current dryland agriculture?

Chairman: Mark Betson NFU Water Policy Adviser

BASIS POINTS APPLIED FOR

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Taking control and responsibility for water