The call is one of a series of policy asks contained in NFU Cymru’s Growing Together Senedd Election manifesto, a document which has been made available to all candidates and continues to be the centre point for ongoing discussions in farmer hustings events hosted by the union across Wales.
The issues caused by Welsh Government’s Control of Agricultural Pollution Regulations - which affect every farm in Wales - have been illustrated in a video released by the union today.
The clip sees NFU Cymru Carmarthenshire County Chairman Haydn Evans document why the ‘farming by calendar’ approach underpinning the blunt, inefficient and bureaucratic regulations is causing untold problems for farmers.
Impossible position
The clip was filmed in early March at a time when weeks of persistent rainfall meant farmers’ slurry storage capacity was under severe pressure. The video sees organic dairy farmer Mr Evans explain that consecutive years of severe weather events either side of the annual winter closed period have placed Welsh farmers in an impossible position.
He said: “Last autumn was one of the best autumns I have seen in my 30 years of farming. Even in late October, when we had taken a late cut of silage, the ground conditions and soil temperatures were perfect for applying nutrients to the land and there was no anticipated rainfall forecast.
If I could have put some nutrients on the ground at that point, the benefits would have been two-fold; it would have benefited the soil and would have eased the pressure on my slurry storage, but the nature of the regulations dictated we were unable to do so.
'Farming by calendar' doesn't work
“Then in the spring, when the prescriptive regulations were lifted, the relentless rainfall meant we couldn’t spread nutrients because the ground was just too wet. As a result, farmers like myself were faced with the concerning situation where the volume of the slurry lagoon was increasing daily and nearing capacity.
The ‘farming by calendar’ approach imposed by the regulations simply doesn’t work.
“As farmers we want to play our part in improving water quality. We have a collective responsibility to the environment and our family businesses to have a workable set of rules, however at the moment they are not working.”
Calling for commitment
NFU Cymru is calling for a workable derogation to the 170 kg organic nitrogen / hectare limit to be introduced to preserve employment both on farm and within the supply chain.
The union is also urging candidates to commit to advocating for the legislative changes that are urgently required to address the most challenging aspects so they are proportionate and targeted, addressing water quality issues where they are shown to be needed.
