Campaigners urge Welsh government to postpone final NVZ plans

Campaigners have asked the Welsh government to postpone plans to introduce final requirements for farmers to comply with nitrate vulnerable zone (NVZ) regulations.

Representatives from campaign group Digon yw Digon held “frank and constructive” talks with Huw Irranca-Davies, the Welsh government’s cabinet secretary for climate change and rural affairs, on Sunday evening (21 July) at the Royal Welsh showground in Powys.

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Aled Rees, an organiser from the campaign group, told the Farmers Weekly Podcast that the grant scheme was introduced 12 months too late.

“On the NVZs, here in Wales, we are facing new rules coming in on 1 August, which requires us to have five months storage and a closed period [to spread organic manures] from 15 October til 15 January,” he said.

“A grant scheme to help the industry to get up to speed and get work done has only just come into place and that closes for expressions of interest on 23 August.

“Realistically, if you go for that grant scheme, by the time you hear if you have been successful then get planning application and get the finance in place, the closed period will have been and gone.”

The Welsh government has allocated about £3m to date of its nutrient management investment scheme, which provides funding for farms to upgrade slurry storage infrastructure. But about £17m has yet to be allocated.

Statutory review

Mr Rees said he was pleased that Mr Irranca-Davies had promised to hold a four-year statutory review of the regulations, which will take place next spring.

“Basically, they are bringing NVZ rules in over 100% of Wales, whereas Natural Resources Wales, Welsh government’s own body, had recommended that they did a targeted approach to NVZ on only 8% of Wales,” he said. “This is going to have huge financial implications.”

Digon yw Digon, which translates to Enough is Enough, has threatened to launch fresh protests if its demands for a fairer deal for Welsh farmers on the Sustainable Farming Scheme, NVZs and action on bovine TB are not met.

A Welsh government spokesperson said: “We are beginning work to review agricultural pollution regulations, which is crucial to achieving our shared aims of an economically and environmentally sustainable farming sector.

“Since the introduction of the Control of Agricultural Pollution Regulations, we have offered more than £31m of direct support towards on-farm infrastructure investments to help farmers meet the requirements.”