Farmers brace themselves for 70% NVZ coverage

Around 70% of England will be a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone according to Defra's Nitrates Directive consultation response which was published on Monday. Ministers have dropped proposals for cover crops to reduce run-off from bare ground and to make new slurry stores eligible for tax allowances - something the NFU has pushed especially hard for.

Peter Kendall warned, however, that the proposals to extend the areas of the country designated as NVZs, to extend closed periods, and to require significant capital investments in slurry storage, would have a significant and adverse impact on large numbers of farmers in England.

The President said: "In our submission to Defra we criticised the Nitrates Directive as outdated and unnecessary, and I still hold this view. As nitrate levels are declining in many parts of England, I continue to question the logic of the directive.

"I am pleased that, in some respects, Defra has listened to our case and made changes to the NVZ proposals published last summer. These changes to the area designated and to the action programme could save farmers and growers up to around £100million a year, according to our figures. I would like to thank all of our members who engaged in lobbying their MPs, hosted visits on their farms and provided case studies to demonstrate the punitive impact of Defra's original proposals."

The key points of Defra's submission:

• About 70% of England needs to be designated - up from 55% - and around 1.5% of areas will be de-designated.

• The proposal for cover crops to reduce run-off from bare ground has been dropped.

• Government will pursue a derogation from the European Commission on the 170 kg/ha whole farm nitrogen loading limit.

• Closed periods and storage capacity will remain as set out in the consultation, but there will be transitional arrangements for meeting the requirements.

• Slurry storage facilities will be eligible for tax allowances on capital costs up to £50,000 per year.

• Maps of NVZs and guidance on the action programme measures will be published alongside the regulations in September.