MP visit highlights growing need for water

Water security for food production featured prominently when Jo Churchill, Conservative MP for Bury St Edmunds, visited a local farmer Charlie Browne, partner of RC Browne & Son at Fornham All Saints. Charlie told his MP that water is the key to the family’s business plan.

Charlie described the family’s decision in 2000 to substantially increase its production of high value potatoes and onions. Over the past 15 years, production of irrigated crops has expanded to the point where it now grows 5000 tonnes of onions and 7500 tonnes of potatoes. This has meant considerable investment in the infrastructure (vegetable storage and reservoirs) needed and a significant increase in the volumes of water actually used on the farm.The farm has invested heavily in surface water reservoirs, but remains reliant on groundwater for a quarter of its total supply.

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