Farming Unions in Wales have reacted strongly to reports that the Welsh Government plans to increase riparian buffer zones as part of new cross-compliance requirements which will take effect from January 2012. The new rules will see an extension of borders by water courses to seven metres for inorganic fertilizer and 15 metres for organic manures. In England, the minimum buffer zones of two meters and 10 meters will be adopted. image expired

The measures are part of pan-European regulations aimed at tackling nitrate pollution in water courses, often the result of agricultural run-off. The Environment Agency Wales has also recently expanded its free soil testing scheme to new areas identified as having issues with water quality linked to agriculture, to combat pollution.

Consultation on the new Good Agricultural Environmental Condition (GAEC) on buffer strips ended on Thursday (1st September). The Welsh government said, “We are obliged to introduce at least the Nitrate Action Programme restrictions on no-spread zones but we could apply more stringent measures to further reduce the risk of water pollution.”

However, NFU Cymru and the Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) have both said that a buffer zone extension would have no scientific basis. NFU Cymru Rural Affairs Board Chair Bernard Llewellyn said, “There is absolutely no scientific justification in the Welsh Government’s suggestion that the strips should be extended.”

He continued, “To avoid confusion NFU Cymru believes that buffer zones next to watercourses would be better defined as no-spread zones and the Union has also called on the Welsh Government to effectively communicate this new condition to the farming industry ahead of the rule coming into force in January 2012.”

NFU Cymru said that the larger Welsh buffer zones and the Welsh Government’s definition of a water course, which it described as “the widest possible” would affect farmers’ productivity, putting them at a disadvantage and threatening their ability to decrease reliance on subsidy payments.

The FUW also criticised the plans, which it described as "gold plating." It said going above the bare minimum buffers introduced as part of the Common Agricultural Policy Health Check agreement in 2008 is unnecessary. FUW land use and parliamentary committee chairman Richard Vaughan said he believed, "Over-zealous implementation of the restrictions over and above the minimum requirements will mean that a large proportion of buffer strips in Wales would be ineffective, whilst the impact on the viability of farm businesses may be substantial.”

A Welsh Government spokesperson told Farming Online that the outcome on buffer zones was far from certain, but assured that, if wider buffer zones were adopted, it would be at the recommendation of stakeholders. She said, "As part of the CAP Health Check agreement in 2008 all Member States are required to introduce a new Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition (GAEC) on buffer strips next to watercourses to tackle the issue of water pollution from agriculture...  There is also an option to further reduce the risk of pollution by going beyond the minimum requirement.

"A consultation exercise on the options for implementing the requirement closed on September 1st. The Welsh Government was required to consult with stakeholders on both options but we have no intention of going beyond the minimum unless there is a strong demand for it. The responses to the consultation are currently being considered.”