NFU Cymru has voiced “frustration” over what it calls the missed opportunity of the Welsh government to deliver changes to the Control of Agricultural Pollution Regulations following a statutory review.
This follows a written statement by deputy first minister and cabinet secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies, on the statutory four-yearly review of the regulations undertaken by independent chair, Dr. Susannah Bolton.
The government said it was committed to implementing all 23 recommendations in full, with the independent review making recommendations in five key areas:
- Addressing regulatory gaps, including soil protection measures and nutrient management planning;
- Better targeting regulations at polluting activities while reducing burdens on low-risk farming;
- Improving accessibility and clarity of regulations for farmers;
- Exploring alternative measures, particularly regarding closed periods and the 170kg nitrogen per hectare manure limit;
- Supporting innovation in farming practices.
NFU Cymru president Aled Jones said: “NFU Cymru has had long-running concerns about the Control of Agricultural Pollution Regulations.
“Prior to their introduction we were clear that the regulations were a blunt, inefficient, bureaucratic and costly instrument with high costs to agriculture and unintended consequences for the environment, that remains our position.”
NFU Cymru Water Quality Group chairman, Martin Griffiths, added:
“Farmers will be exasperated that far from reducing the regulatory burden placed on them by the regulations, the Welsh Government wants to add additional regulations, including for soils, nutrient management planning and air quality.”
NFU Cymru said it will consider the report in more detail in the coming days, reviewing the evidence against its own recommendations
The Farmers Union of Wales (FUW) president, Ian Rickman, said the FUW has consistently opposed the regulations “due to their bureaucratic, costly and disproportionate nature”.
The FUW said it had previously raised longstanding concerns with the government around the difficulties farmers face in complying with the regulations.
“Through regulatory change or otherwise, the FUW maintains that the record-keeping and bureaucratic requirements of these regulations must be simplified for farmers.”
In his statement Irranca-Davies said the health of Welsh water bodies was critical for every person in Wales.
He said since the introduction of the Water Resources Act in 2021 the government had made available £52 million in financial support for farmers to invest in infrastructure to address agricultural pollution.
He added that the government will continue to support enforcement of regulations by investing in Natural Resources Wales.
Irranca-Davies MS said: “Water quality in Wales is still being detrimentally impacted and we must continue to make improvements. Whilst the causes of pollution are not limited to any one sector, agriculture remains one of the main contributors.”
The deputy first minister said he intend to take forward the recommendations “in full and at pace”.
