NEWS RELEASE
Date: 3 June 2008
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Water friendly farming initiative enters new phase
The next phase of a programme to help farmers tackle the causes of harmful water pollution is taking shape, Environment Minister Phil Woolas announced today.
The England Catchment Sensitive Farming Delivery Initiative, which started in April 2006, is continuing. Defra and its delivery partners for the Initiative, Natural England and the Environment Agency, have now mapped out the next stages.
The main elements are:
- A repeat of the 07-08 Capital Grant Scheme in 08-09 providing funding for farmers to make relatively low-cost infrastructure investments to tackle pollution.
- A further ten priority catchments to be added from autumn to the original forty. These are the key areas where changes in farm practices are being sought to reduce water pollution.
- A further five dedicated Catchment Sensitive Farming Officers to join the existing network of forty-two Officers from autumn 2008 and work closely with local farmers.
- Nine new Regional Co-ordinators from summer to enhance delivery and link the Initiative with River Basin Management Planning for the Water Framework Directive and with other regional initiatives.
- A new Strategic Partnership Programme from autumn with national and regional partners outside the priority catchments.
- Extension of agreement for technical support from the Pesticides Voluntary Initiative.
Engagement with farmers will remain the main objective of the Initiative and there will continue to be an extensive programme of farmer events and farm visits. In the first two years the ECSFDI delivered advice to over 6,000 farmers, representing 15% of farm holdings (23% by area) within the forty priority catchments. Advice was delivered through more than five hundred group events and over 4,700 one-to-one farm visits. More than 14,000 farm-specific recommendations were made for measures to tackle diffuse pollution. Over 80% of farmers receiving advice from the ECSFDI confirmed their knowledge of water pollution had increased and that they had taken, or were intending to take, action to tackle water pollution.
Environment Minister Phil Woolas said:
“Catchment sensitive farming is at the heart of a sustainable and responsible agriculture industry. The Government has made its commitment in this area and I know that our delivery partners will play their full part too. It is now up to the farming industry to work with us on this. The more we can do together the less need there will be for regulation.”
Helen Phillips, Chief Executive of Natural England said:
"We know the difference improved water quality can make to species such as otters and water voles. Natural England and farming bodies have been asking for an extension to the scheme for some time, and we're delighted that this has been agreed so the benefits can be fully realised. We can now look ahead with confidence to deliver catchment sensitive farming in partnership with the Environment Agency and the farmers involved."
Paul Leinster, Acting Chief Executive of the Environment Agency, added:
“I am very pleased that this Initiative continues and that Defra will maintain their support for farmers on catchment sensitive farming for the next three years. But of course we need to do even more. The first cycle of River Basin Management Plans under the Water Framework Directive will be signed next year and catchment sensitive farming measures will be very important in that context, to tackle the problems our water environment faces from diffuse pollution from agriculture.”
Notes for Editors
1. Defra is providing funding of £12.9 million for the England Catchment Sensitive Farming Delivery Initiative in 08-09, of which £5 million is for capital grants. Funding for 2009-10 and 2010-11 will be confirmed as soon as Defra completes its business planning for these years.
2. Future Water, the Government’s new water strategy for England was launched on 7 February. It signalled that Defra would roll out initiatives, over a further three years, to continue to support farmers on catchment sensitive farming. (see www.defra.gov.uk/environment/water/strategy/index.htm)
3. Defra policy on tackling diffuse water pollution from agriculture includes encouraging water companies to work with farmers – as signalled in the recent consultation on draft statutory Social and Environmental Guidance to the Water Services Regulation Authority (Ofwat), partly to inform the periodic review of water price limits for 2010-2015 (PR09). (see www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/ofwat-guidance/ ).
4. Catchment sensitive farming is a key element of future action on diffuse water pollution from agriculture (which may include a targeted regulatory approach where necessary). Defra has set out its policy in this area in a response following a consultation last year. This response can be found at www.defra.gov.uk/farm/environment/water/csf/pdf/diffuse-consult-govresponse.pdf.
5. The England Catchment Sensitive Farming Delivery Initiative (ECSFDI) has been in place since April 2006. Previous Defra news releases on it were issued in December 2005 (596/05) and October 2006 (464/06). More information on the ECSFDI can be found on line at www.defra.gov.uk/farm/environment/water/csf. This includes various reports – including of farmer surveys and of monitoring and evaluation. There is also a collection of thirty-eight case studies and a compendium of fifty-four examples of advice delivery activities from the first two years of the ECSFDI.
6. The 08-09 CSF Capital Grant Scheme was launched on 1 April with a closing date of 30 June for applications (see www.defra.gov.uk/farm/environment/water/csf/grants/capital-grants-scheme.htm). Under the comparable 2007-08 scheme farmers received £4.645 million.
End
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Page last modified: 10 June 2008
Page published: 3 June 2008