Business Rural Autumn 2021

88 | IRRIGATION » Barrhill Chertsey Irrigation 0800 93 7473 hynds . co.nz QUALITY PRODUCT WITH GREAT PROJECT MANAGEMENT PROUD SUPPLIERS TO THE BCI IRRIGATION SCHEME Over 7km of Polyethylene Pipe (225mm-1000mm) BCI had its origins in two separate farmer groups seeking to source water for the Barrhill and Chert- sey areas. With the obvious source of water being the strong Rakaia River, Barrhill Chertsey Irriga- tion was formed as a farmer owned co-operative company in 1998. In 2001 BCI was granted a consent to abstract 17 cumecs of water, however nearly a decade of devel- opmental challenges ensued before it delivered its first irrigation water in 2010 and by 2016 BCI was delivering water to 20,000 hectares in the district, having grown from 7,000 ha in 2010. The company’s two joint venture partners agreed in 2017 it was time to consider full farmer ownership of the scheme, and in September that year Barrhill Chertsey Irrigation Limited (BCIL) secured 100% ownership of the irrigation scheme infrastructure. BCIL is also a 33% shareholder in Irrigo. One of Irrigo’s key functions is to provide environmental management, education and monitoring of all our BCIL shareholders. With a focus on continual im- provement, the monitoring and support of the Irrigo The Barrhill Chertsey Irrigation Scheme on the Rakaia River was formed as a farm owned co-operative company in 1998. Gains flow from water scheme • from page 87 Environmental team ensures BCI farmers are able to meet and exceed the high environmental standards required to mitigate the challenges around intensive agriculture. The direct impact of irrigation on food produc- tion as well as the trickle-down effect is significant Richard says. “There’s a lot more down-stream benefits to local communities as higher value and more diverse farming production systems become viable due to irrigation. These higher value and more vertically integrated production systems offer benefits and opportunities for farmers and the wider community well beyond the farm gate. “There’s a lot more down- stream benefits to local communities as higher value and more diverse farming production systems become viable due to irrigation.”