In response to rocketing prices of fertiliser, Defra has announced a number of steps to help farmers with their nutrient management.
Urea
The planned ban on the use of urea fertiliser has been scrapped. Instead, an industry-run voluntary scheme will aim to reduce the ammonia emissions from solid urea fertiliser, commencing in 2023. This will be delivered through the Red Tractor farm assurance scheme and FACTS advisers. This is an alternative approach to the Options included in the Defra Consultation (see our article https://abcbooks.co.uk/ban-on-urea-fertiliser/) and will mean scheme members can:
- use untreated or unprotected urea fertilisers from 15th January to 31st March each year
- use urease inhibitor-treated or protected urea fertilisers throughout the rest of the year
Defra has said it will monitor the effectiveness of the scheme and will introduce regulations if it does not reduce the necessary amount of ammonia emissions.
Defra consulted on three regulatory Options to reduce ammonia emissions from solid urea fertiliser in November 2020. In Defra’s response to this consultation, just released, it says ‘global fertiliser shortages and price increases have led to significant concerns over the cost of food and, in turn, on the cost of living’. It therefore considers a ban on solid urea fertilisers (Option 1 in the consultation) to be unfeasible. Furthermore, evidence submitted through the consultation indicated that the costs to farmers of banning solid urea would be substantially greater and ammonia emissions reduction less than previously expected. It has also found the timelines to implement a ban would be longer than previously estimated due to the changes to infrastructure required to handle and store greater volumes of ammonium nitrate (AN). An industry consortium including farming unions, research and advice bodies, accreditation/assurance schemes, and the fertiliser supply industry offered to set up and run a non–regulatory approach, which they have termed as ‘Option 4′. This would utilise farm assurance schemes such as Red Tractor, to reduce ammonia emissions from the use of fertilisers containing urea (both solid and liquid), in England from April 2023 a year later than originally proposed.
Farming Rules for Water
Defra has released ‘revised and improved’ statutory guidance on applying the Farming Rules for Water. The de facto ban on autumn manure spreading, based on how the rules were being enforced, has been removed. However, farmers will need to demonstrate that what they are doing does not pose a risk of diffuse pollution – and the guidance is somewhat complex.
The Farming Rules for Water (formally the Reduction and Prevention of Agricultural Diffuse Pollution (England) Regulations 2018) have not been amended. Instead, the new guidance tells the Environment Agency about criteria that they should consider when assessing if enforcement action should be taken under the regulations. It also provides some clarity for farmers as to how to manage the use of slurry and other manures during autumn and winter including;
- the planning of applications,
- assessing the crop and soil needs,
- assessment of significant risk of agricultural pollution
- spreading time periods
The new guidance can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/applying-the-farming-rules-for-water/applying-the-farming-rules-for-water.
Slurry Storage
The final Defra announcement on the issue of nutrients was a confirmation that grants for slurry stores will be available in England. As we wrote in the February Bulletin, this will come under the Farming Investment Fund. The announcement didn’t provide much further detail (this is expected over the next few months). However, from what we have learned, the following rules are likely to apply for Slurry Infrastructure Grants;
- grant funding will be at 50% rates with grants from £25K to £250K (thus project sizes of £50K to £0.5m)
- initially they will only apply to dairy, beef and pig farms already on a slurry-based system – i.e. those operating a FYM system will not be eligible to get grants to ‘convert’ to slurry
- grants will fund projects that create up to 6 month’s storage. If additional capacity beyond 6 months is constructed, this element will not be grant-funded
- the scheme will fund replacement, reconstruction and additions to storage. However, once the work is completed all slurry storage on the farm must be compliant with the Silage, Slurry and Agricultural Fuel Oil (SSAFO) regulations. Effectively, pre-1991 ‘grandfather’ rights on old stores will be removed for those applying for grants
- stores will need to be covered. Grants may be available for covering existing stores, but this could depend on the type/quality of existing storage
- all types of storage will potentially be eligible including earth-bank, lined lagoons (as long as they can be covered)
- a manure management plan (to work out volumes of slurry) will be required – potentially signed-off by the Environment Agency. There will also need to be a Nutrient Management Plan to show how the stored slurry will be used
- the grant will be competitive, with a scoring system used. Farms in certain locations (priority catchments, close to protected sites etc.) will be favoured.
These are subject to change before the final scheme is launched. However, farmers (and their advisors) may wish to start preparing ahead of this by doing such things as applying for planning permission, securing quotes for work and discussing funding.
