ABSTRACT
In England, irrigated agriculture is an important sector of the agrifood industry, and a small but significant user of water in the drier parts of the country. For many farm businesses, irrigation is an essential component of production, particularly on highvalue outdoor horticultural crops, such as potatoes, soft fruit, and field vegetables,
where continuous and reliable supplies of premium quality are demanded by the major processors and supermarkets. Although the total area irrigated is small by international standards, typically around 150,000 hectares (ha) in a dry year, the supplemental nature of irrigation, with small depths of water being applied to high-value crops, means that the financial benefit (value) of irrigation water is extremely high [1]. Nationally, irrigated agriculture accounts for only 4% of crop area, but approximately 20% of crop value. It is these characteristics that make water resources for irrigation in England important; without secure and reliable access to water supplies, many agribusinesses would simply not survive; locally, the consequences of water shortages would result in a shift away from intensive high-value production to lowinput cereal production, with negative impacts on rural employment.
