With water concerns in farming back in the news this month as the growing season approaches, farmers can now apply for their share of a £900m grant scheme to help them develop environmentally-friendly techniques and initiatives.

Peterborough, UK
Once again farmers and growers are facing tighter water abstraction rules, as time-limited water abstraction licenses due to expire this year are being assessed by the Environment Agency to ensure that they comply with the EU Water Framework Directive.  Conditions of the license may change if they are considered to be a risk to the environment and according to a spokesman from the UK Irrigation Agency, the changes could have a profound impact on individual irrigated farming businesses, raising questions surrounding how license changes will impact their businesses and productivity.

The directive requires water bodies and aquatic ecosystems to be of good ecological status.  However, 24 per cent of East Anglia’s water bodies, as an example, are thought to be non-compliant with phosphate and abstraction amongst the concerns.

Peterborough-based Enduramaxx is encouraging farmers and growers to exploit the significant volumes of free water available in the form of farm building rain run-off.  The company provides farmers with dedicated rainwater harvesting systems comprising large-volume rainwater tanks made form a rugged, uv-stabilised polyethylene.  Rainwater is collected throughout the year and stored safely and at optimum conditions for when it is needed most in the growing season.

In addition, farmers wishing to help protect the environment and reduce water pollution can now apply for their share of a £900m grant through the Rural Development Programme.  The new water grant builds on the successful Catchment Sensitive Farming Scheme that saw 6,200 farms benefit from grant funding totalling £72m.  

The new Rural Development Programme fund can be used in projects to install bio-beds, preventing livestock access to watercourses, providing drinking troughs for livestock, relocating sheep dips and pens and roofing sprayer wash-down areas.  Items also include manure storage areas, livestock gathering areas, slurry stores and silage stores.

Farmers wishing to learn more about rainwater harvesting and rainwater tanks should visit the Enduramaxx website at www.enduramaxx.co.uk.

###

Contact
Enduramaxx
Outgang Road
The Fen
Baston
PE6 9PT

Tel: 0800 840 4030
Fax: 01778 560942

Email: [email protected]
Web: www.enduramaxx.co.uk