Nitrates - reducing water pollution from agriculture
Action Programme measures in England
- What is an Action Programme?
- Review of the Action Programme
- How is compliance with the Action Programme measures enforced?
What is an Action Programme?
An Action Programme is a package of measures that must be implemented by farmers with land located in Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs). The measures promote best practice in the use and storage of fertiliser and manure, and build on the guidelines set out in the Code for Good Agricultural Practice for the Protection of Water
The Government encourages farmers outside of the NVZs to follow these voluntary Codes of Good Practice, for the protection of the environment. This will help to prevent nitrate levels rising to the point where regulation becomes necessary. It will also help to reduce other pollution, including phosphate losses and microbiological contamination of bathing waters.
The Nitrates Directive provides for some discretion over the content of Action Programmes but there are certain measures which must be included. There are four key aspects to the current Action Programme measures:
- Limit inorganic nitrogen fertiliser application to crop requirements, after allowing fully for residues in the soil and other sources.
- Limit organic manure applications to 170kg/ha of total nitrogen each year averaged over the area of the farm not in grass, and 250kg/ha of total nitrogen each year averaged over the area of grass on the farm.
- On sandy or shallow soils do not apply slurry, poultry manures or liquid digested sludge between 1 September and 1 November (grassland or autumn sown crop) or 1 August and 1 November (fields no in grass without autumn sown crop). The storage capacity available for those animal manures which cannot be applied during the autumn closed period must be sufficient to cover these periods unless other environmentally acceptable means of disposal are available.
- Keep adequate farm records, including cropping, livestock numbers and the use of organic manures and nitrogen fertilisers.
All farmers within the current NVZs have been required to implement these measures since 19 December 2002.
A more detailed account of the current Action Programme measures and how farmers can comply with them is contained in Guidelines for Farmers in NVZs and in Manure Planning in NVZs.
Review of the Action Programme
A recent review of the effectiveness of the current Action Programme highlighted that if we are to achieve widespread, sustained downward trends in nitrate concentrations, we need to revise the Action Programme through the introduction of reinforced and additional measures.
The recent consultation (now closed) describes the outcomes of the recent review, outlines proposals for a revised Action Programme, and provides links to the evidence base underlying both the review and the proposals.Over 600 responses were received to the consultation.
The Government Response to the consultation was published on 21 July 2008 and provides a summary of what the Department plans to do as a result of the consultation responses (e.g. refine / uphold the proposals and the reasons why) and the timetable for implementation. Regulations implementing the refined proposals are likely to be laid before Parliament in September 2008.
How is compliance with the Action Programme measures enforced?
The Action Programme under the Nitrates Directive is also a Statutory Management Requirement (SMR) for cross compliance under the Single Payment Scheme. This means that farmers have to comply with the Action Programme measures to be entitled to their full subsidy payment; failure to comply could lead to deductions.
The Environment Agency is responsible for assessing farmers' compliance with the NVZ Action Programme measures. They do this by visiting farms; part of the visit includes a walk around the farm and an inspection of field records (note: the measures require you to keep records relating to livestock numbers and the use of fertiliser nitrogen and organic manures. Record sheets are available to download).
The Environment Agency will be taking a risk-based approach to enforcement in the new designations, prioritising farms that have the greatest potential for nitrate loss rather than visiting all farms. To assist with this approach you are encouraged to send your field records to the Environment Agency on a yearly basis. This will give you the opportunity to demonstrate that you are complying with the Action Programme measures, potentially reducing the frequency of their visits to your farm or the time spent on your farm.
Records can be sent to nvz@environment-agency.gov.uk, or by post to: NVZ Technical Advisor, Environment Agency, Kingfisher House, Goldhay Way, Orton Goldhay, Peterborough, PE2 5ZR. Tel: 01733 371811. Fax: 01733 464472.
Page last modified: 21 July 2008
Page published: 27 June 2002