Failure to comply with the regulations could put their single farm payment at risk, as well as increasing the risk of environmental pollution.

From January 1, 2012, dairy and livestock farmers in NVZs will be required to have five months slurry storage and pig and poultry farmers six months. This is so that slurry can be stored adequately during the closed period, roughly October to mid January, to prevent it being spread when the land cannot take it up so easily leading to more leaching.

‘Thirty nine per cent of the South West is in a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone, affecting 6,806 farms. January 2012 isn’t very far off and farmers must act now. We know there are still farmers out there who are anxious about what the regulations mean for them and their business, but are worried about contacting us for advice for fear we may use this against them at a later date. We are not trying to catch farmers out - we’ll be more likely to take a considered view of our enforcement options if a farmer has contacted us to discuss their concerns,’ said Phil Shere for the Environment Agency.

‘We’ve been working with the agricultural sector for the last three years to raise awareness of NVZ and Slurry Silage and Fuel Oil (SSAFO) regulations, both signposting to sources of help and guidance and offering one to one advice. Claiming ignorance of the regulations is not an excuse. If we visit a farm after January 1, 2012, and find that they haven’t complied, we will consider the full range of our enforcement options, including prosecution,’ added Phil.

While investing in slurry storage will put pressure on finances, many farmers have started to see the payback in reduced fertiliser bills by storing slurry and using it in the Spring.

Spreading slurry in the spring is the most efficient use of the available nutrients - crops can access up to 50 per cent of the available nutrients from slurry in spring, compared with as low as five per cent in the Autumn.

Nitrate Vulnerable Zones were introduced to try and improve water quality by reducing pollution from nitrates. Pollution from agriculture is one reason that two thirds of waterbodies in the South West are not classified as having ‘good’ status under the Water Framework Directive (WFD).