February 2007
Serious threat to contracting businesses from proposed NVZ rules
Stricter rules for Nitrate Vulnerable Zones being mooted by DEFRA in England and SEERAD in Scotland are causing great concern among Members offering slurry spreading services. They are worried that the rules, especially those in Scotland, will line up more closely with the EU’s intention of introducing a 5-6 month closed period in the winter for all manures on all soil types. Such moves would deal their businesses a very serious blow especially where they rely on slurry spreading to keep staff and equipment employed all year round.
Apart from the obvious impact on their businesses, they are also concerned that such rules could cause more problems than they solve. They foresee two feverish peaks of activity as farmers frantically try to get slurry applied before the closed season starts and as soon as it finishes. If the closed season lasts for five months, there will be enormous amounts of slurry to spread on small areas of land. This will almost inevitably result in nitrates reaching water sources, the very problem the regulators want to avoid.
There will also be timeliness clashes with other essential jobs such as completion of harvesting or the start of drilling. To cope with such peaks, contractors would find it impossible to invest in the spreading equipment needed. Farmers would also have to double, if not treble, their storage capacity, which, on current milk prices, could break their businesses. Vast slurry stores present a risk in themselves if they rupture and send their contents into the nearest ditch or stream.