New NVZ rules in Wales
From April 1 the whole of Wales is to be classed as a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone, requiring all farmers to follow NVZ rules.
The new regulation has taken many farmers by surprise, especially when previous reports by Natural Resources Wales suggested the NVZ area in Wales should rise from 2.3 per cent of land area to eight per cent – a far cry from the 100 per cent which is now being imposed!
The new regulations will affect every farmer in every area across Wales.
The rules will include annual limits being enforced on the amount of nitrogen which can be applied and new requirements to plan the spreading of nitrogen fertiliser in advance. Further rules include the implementation of closed periods prohibiting the spreading of nitrogen fertiliser at certain periods of the year and additional record keeping which must be undertaken.
Many of the rules farmers will already follow as part of good husbandry such as not spreading fertiliser within two metres of surface water. However some will place an additional burden such as requiring records to be kept planning the spreading of nitrogen and calculating the volume of nitrogen produced by livestock, and so on.
More than 11,000 Welsh farmers have contacted to Senedd members highlighting the financial impact the new regulations will have on their farm businesses.
Beth Hanson is a rural professional at McCartneys
