HCC proudly backs industry innovation as joint bid represents Wales at UK awards

Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales (HCC) and a top level farming industry related team have “brushed aside” 44 other innovators to claim the right to represent Wales at a prestigious UK water sector awards ceremony this week.

The Wales team, the ‘Weed Wiper Trial Partnership’, came together to tackle the issues around the level of pesticides in water and their winning bid- ‘Brush the Rush’- is an outline best practice awareness campaign.

James Ruggeri, HCC’s Industry Development Executive said: “It’s great to be a part of such an important collaboration between farming and the water industry which provides a real benefit to the environment and also the consumer.” 

He explained: “This Welsh Water led initiative was run in partnership with a top level industry team featuring HCC, Natural Resources Wales, FWAG Cymru, NFU Cymru, FUW, and Farming Connect.

“The ambition was to tackle rising levels of the grassland herbicide MCPA and the campaign included the offer of a free hire of a weed wiper, an alternative application method that reduced the use of MCPA by 1,220 litres in the target area.

“Initial results showed levels of MCPA across the catchment were 34 per cent lower in 2015 than 2014, reducing treatment costs, benefiting customers and protecting the environment. This will lead to more efficient grassland production which will benefit the red meat sector.”

They will now join six other finalists from across the UK in a bid to win the Institute of Water’s National Innovation Award for the ‘People/Customer Service’ category at the President’s Dinner and Awards ceremony to be held in Birmingham next week. The Awards recognise innovative individuals and companies from within the UK water and sewerage sector. The ‘Weed Wiper Trial Partnership’ initiative focused on innovative collaboration and partnership working and beat 44 other entries in the Welsh region alone.

The full list of finalists and further information about the Institute of Water Innovation awards is available online at: http://bit.ly/1S86gxj

For more information on ‘Getting the most from your soils’, download a copy of HCC’s advisory booklet from http://bit.ly/1TvmR3w