A future-focused strategy with sustainability at the core
Water Use
Handing down productive, profitable farms to feed future generations requires sustainable farming practices. Fertile soil relies on the retention of nutrients and the efficient use of water. The latest systems employed by ALIL shareholders have been designed to apply water with millimetre accuracy. One example is managing crop requirements with data gained from soil moisture probes.
Efficiencies are constantly improving, and this progress is being driven from the farm. ALIL shareholders using border dyke irrigation has reduced from 90% to <1% in just 10 years.
Land Use
Canterbury’s Land and Water Regional Plan (LWRP) sets nutrient limits across groundwater zones. Part of adhering to this plan requires all properties greater than 5ha and losing more than 20kg/N/ha to have a Farm Environment Plan (FEP). Completion of the FEP is a requirement for all ALIL shareholders being supplied with irrigation water. The FEP includes risk assessment and measures land management units and practices against FEP objectives and targets.
Following the FEP process has enabled ALIL shareholders to increase the efficiency of their water and nutrient use through sustainable farming practices that result in improved environmental outcomes, higher productivity, and increased profit.
