Defra has announced its proposals for the Nitrate Vulnerable Action Plan. Consultation on the outcome of its latest four-yearly review of NVZ designations and proposed action closed last Friday.

Defra proposals would either see the whole of England permanently designated as an NVZ, which would mean special considerations would have to be undertaken by farmers throughout the country to avoid contaminating water, or continuing with the current pattern of four yearly reviews; currently, 62.1 per cent of England is designated as Nitrate Vulnerable Zone.

There are also proposals to extend closed periods when slurry and poultry manure cannot be spread on fields, new regulations relating to silage, slurry and fuel stores built over 20 years ago and the introduction of mandatory over-winter cover crops. The measures would reduce nitrate leaching and provide wider environmental benefits, according to Defra.

Alternative proposals would see farmers agreeing to reduce the application rate of slurry instead of extending the closed period and finding ways of reducing paperwork for farms that present little pressure.

Unions react to proposals

Farming unions have reacted strongly to the proposals; they claim that, in the first instance, the increased regulations would cost farmers extra and lead to more ‘red tape’ whilst hindering productivity. They also claim that, if the four-yearly reviewing pattern is maintained, the area of England designated as NVZ would fall by 1per cent to 61.5 per cent of the country, the first time there has ever been a fall.

The NFU branded some of the proposals as “bizarre” and warned they risk increasing the burden on farmers before the impact of the last designation round can be seen. The union claimed declining nitrate trends identified in the latest review mean the Directive is achieving its aims now and does not need to be rolled out further.

NFU head of policy services Andrew Clark said, “The NFU welcomes Ministerial recognition that nitrate levels in rivers are now generally declining, and believes this could be when the damaging impact the Nitrates Directive has on English farming starts to reduce.”

He criticised the proposals for cover crops and extension of closed periods, stating, “The NVZs are too crude a tool to apply the measures with the necessary flexibility, and other vehicles would be much more suitable.”

Mr Clark continued, “Some of the other proposals seem bizarre given the government’s vocal commitment to reducing red tape. Retrospective application of standards to older silage, slurry and agricultural fuel oil stores is unnecessary given that there is no evidence of an age-related problem from these stores or an assessment of the cost of complying.”

The French government is being taken to court by the European Union over its persistent failure to allocate adequate Nitrate Vulnerable Zones, which the EU claims has resulted in demonstrable water pollution in the country.

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