Suffolk farm boss warns of investment need as “nationally significant” water shortages hit England
The farms spent £3 million on a new reservoir to store winter rainfall for use in dry months
A leading Suffolk farmer says more investment and “smarter solutions” are urgently needed to protect the industry from worsening water shortages.
It comes as the National Drought Group warns England is facing “nationally significant” shortfalls, despite rainfall in July, with further hot, dry weather forecast.
Five regions remain in official drought status, with six more classed as in “prolonged dry weather”. The lack of water is already impacting crop yields, livestock feed, wetlands, river wildlife, and increasing the risk of wildfires.
Andrew Blenkiron, managing director of Elveden Farms Limited, says 2025 has brought “another challenging” season:
“Farming needs to work so very closely with the weather. Everything that the weather throws at us, we have to counter and we have to find a way of working in harmony with nature, but indeed, working through the challenges that it presents us with.”
Combine in the dust
Combine in the dust
The cost of growing crops
The Elveden Estate grows crops such as potatoes, onions and carrots, which require high levels of irrigation. Andrew says this year they’ve recorded only a quarter of their average rainfall to the end of July, with one month bringing just a few millimetres compared to the usual 50-plus.
Their long-term records, dating back to 1894, show Elveden’s yearly average is around 620 millimetres, but the pattern is changing.
“We’ve always had dry years and we’ve always had wet years, but we’re getting more periods of intense rainfall and intense dry periods.”
The lack of consistent rain has financial consequences. Andrew says they’ve had to spend around £1,500 more per hectare on irrigation this season compared to some years.
“The big challenge is being able to pass those extra costs of production onto the marketplace.”
Investment for farmers to access water
To help secure their water supply, Elveden Farms is building a third reservoir at a cost of around £3 million. It will store winter rainfall for use during the driest months, something Andrew believes should be happening on a much wider scale.
“We need more strategically built reservoirs so that many farmers could potentially share that resource. We’re going to have to make an investment and work with the regulator much more closely to ensure that happens.”
Andrew says they’ve already had success in building reservoirs with government support, but the urgency of the issue means collaborative infrastructure is key.
The Environment Agency is currently looking at how water abstraction licences could be adapted to better reflect these needs, and Andrew wants farmers to have a stronger voice in those discussions.
“There’s lots of new and interesting things going on to ensure farming can get continuity of water. We just need to be able to work with the regulator and communicate much more closely to ensure that happens.”
He also points out that British farmers face higher costs than many overseas producers, but continue to deliver to “world-leading” standards.
“Producing food in this country to the highest of environmental welfare standards does incur extra costs that other farmers from around the world don’t have.”
Andrew says tackling water scarcity is essential not just for farming, but for the future of the UK’s food security.