Drought in Stowmarket?

Could Stowmarket be heading for droughts? It's been a dry year all round for the British Isles, so dry in fact that the Environment Agency has declared many parts of the country official drought zones. On Friday 10th June the Environment Agency rendered counties as close to home as Cambridgeshire and Western Norfolk official drought zones and announced that Suffolk could be next, and that means the people of Stowmarket may be affected.

If the Environment Agency names Suffolk as a drought zone then there may be hosepipe bans and even water restrictions as soon as the end of June. This is bad news for Stowmarket farmers as it would inhibit spraying water onto crops too. If crops do not receive enough water then the grain harvest will be very light causing grain prices to rise and therefore livestock farmers have to deal with high feed costs and thus we all face higher food prices.

Although at the moment Suffolk and Stowmarket have not been put in a state of drought the idea of proceeding to drought status emphasises the need to be conscientious towards our use of water during this dry spell. Whether you're working as a farmer, for industry or are at home we all need to pull together and be smart to get through these dry circumstances. 

The Environment Agency's chief executive, Dr. Paul Leinster stated: "The agency, water companies and other water users have plans in place to cope with drought to ensure there is enough water for people, businesses and the environment."