The last chance for slurry rules advice

Both Environment Agency and NFU are concerned that a significant number of farmers in Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs) have yet to make the necessary preparations. And in this region, they have jointly organised a series of workshops to make sure everybody knows exactly what they should be doing.

“This will be members’ last opportunity to get ready, so anyone at all unsure about what they need to do should book a place at one of these meetings,” said the north east director of the NFU, Barney Kay, announcing the programme this week.

“By now farmers should have assessed their storage needs for slurry and manure kept on farm – six months’ worth for pigs and poultry and five months’ worth for other animals. They should also have investigated what they need to do if more storage is needed.

“Even those in a deferred slurry storage area, or ‘purple area’, who have an additional year to comply, may still be visited by Environment Agency staff to check what steps have been put in place.”

The workshops will include assistance for farmers who have not yet done the basic calculations, as long as they come armed with: animal numbers; farm dimensions; surface area of existing storage; and areas of open spaces running into their slurry stores.

Workshops have been scheduled for:

Tuesday October 11, 1-3pm, at The Badger, Ponteland.

Tuesday October 11, 6-8pm, at The George, Piercebridge.

Thursday October 13, 1-3pm, at NFU Office, York.

Thursday October 20, 1-3pm, at The Golden Fleece, Thirsk.

Thursday October 20, 6-8pm, at The Black Swan, Pickering.

Tuesday October 25, 1-3pm, at Staindrop Lodge, Chapeltown, Sheffield.

Tuesday October 25, 6-8pm, at Cedar Court, Huddersfield.

To book, call 01904 451550. Places are limited, Mr Kay said.