In the Somme, “agricultural irrigation in the midst of drought is not the Far West” assures the prefecture

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Watered crops despite watersheds placed at different levels of drought alert: in the Somme, these scenes may surprise. However, agricultural irrigation, practiced by 15 to 20% of Sammarian farmers, is very supervised by the prefecture and the departmental directorate of territories and the sea.

Water management down to the cubic meter

Normally, farmers who own boreholes have a “water right”, ie a volume of water usable for irrigation, not to be exceeded. In the Avre watershed, this represents 16 million cubic meters allocated to farmers this season, who have already consumed 10.2 million. Given the passage of the watershed on drought alert, this water right is currently reduced by 21%.

For local farmers, this of course has concrete implications: “I water at a low start, in the morning or in the evening to avoid evaporationexplains Benjamin Bizet, president of the Young Farmers’ Union based in Faverolles, near Montdidier. I do not irrigate everything: only 40 hectares out of 300“. And he must resolve to sacrifice some plots for the benefit of others : “I chose the bean plants, in full bloom, over the potatoes which arrived earlier.“

Every week, Benjamin Bizet must read his meter to declare his water consumption for agricultural use to the prefecture. © Radio France
– Celine Austin

All is controlled by water meters and readings sent each week to the departmental directorate of territories and the sea.”The objective is to complete the priority cropsexplains its deputy director Pascal Henry. Namely: food crops, such as beans, potatoes or spinach [la liste complète est disponible sur le site de la préfecture de la Somme]. Agricultural irrigation in the middle of a drought is not the Wild West!“he assures. According to the latest surveys, a dozen farmers out of the 246 irrigators in the Avre watershed are approaching their consumption limit. In the event of abuse, sanctions can lead to court judicial.

Food crops, like beans here, are prioritized for irrigation when a watershed is placed on drought alert.
Food crops, like beans here, are prioritized for irrigation when a watershed is placed on drought alert. © Radio France
– Celine Austin

If the Avre watershed, currently on alert, goes to the last level of “crisis”, agricultural irrigation will be totally prohibited, except for market gardening, outside the day (9 a.m. to 6 p.m.). In the Somme, agricultural use accounts for half of the department’s water consumption.


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