Farming Futures is holding a free workshop on water management for farmers, growers and land managers in the West Midlands on 30 March.

By 2050, rainfall in the West Midlands is projected to decrease by 17 per cent and water demand for irrigated crops could increase by up to 50 per cent, meaning growers are being urged to be more efficient in their water usage.

The problem is compounded by the fact that the imminent draft Flood and Water Management Bill is likely to suggest mains water prices are increased in the future.

The free workshop, organised by Farming Futures in partnership with the Environment Agency, will cover rainwater harvesting, building reservoirs and how farmers and growers can work together to share resources.

Expert speakers will explore the solutions and demonstrate the economic and environmental benefits they can bring to your business. Speakers will include Andrew Alston, chief executive of the Broadland Agricultural Water Abstractors Group, and Phil Metcalfe, head of the waste and environment group at ADAS. A farm walk will be included to show some of the technologies in practice.

Madeleine Lewis, Farming Futures project manager, said: "Water is a key resource to all farmers and growers so you need to make sure you know how much you're using, you're as efficient as you can be, and that you capture and reuse as much as possible.

"Water resources are only going to come under increasing pressure as population growth, hotter, drier summers, and the pressure to produce more food have an impact. At this Farming Futures workshop you can learn from the experts who already treat future water scarcity and regulation as a reality in their business."

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