Call for funding over new rules on slurry pollution

Adequate funding should be available to farmers where new regulations on the storage and spreading of slurry and digestate will require significant capital investment.

John Murdoch of Friendlesshead Farm, Mauchline spraying his field with slurry

That was the call from the industry after the Scottish Government announced that new measures to reduce pollution and emissions from these organic fertilisers would come into force in January 2022.

The Scottish Government announced the amendments to the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011, yesterday after negotiations had continued with the industry following the 12-week consultation earlier this year.

Scot Gov estimated that over 6.35 million tonnes of slurry were produced in Scotland each year – and under the new legislation the broadcast of slurry to land by splash plate will be banned to be replaced by low-emission, precision spreading equipment in order to reduce emissions of ammonia.

Farms producing slurry will also be required to have adequate storage for the amount of slurry produced - 22 weeks for those keeping cattle and 26 weeks for pigs.

In what was claimed as a lobbying success for NFU Scotland, slurry stores built prior to 1991 can be retained if they remain fit for purpose - but if they required reconstruction or enlargement to meet storage requirements then they would no longer be exempt and would have to comply with the British Standards.

Announcing the new regulations, Minister for Environment and Land Reform Màiri McAllan said:

“While slurry and digestate are important nutrients for use on our farms, they can also be damaging to our natural environment if not used properly, causing harmful emissions into our air and water.

Conceding that farms would not be able to introduce some of the new changes overnight, she added:

“We have engaged with and listened to the concerns of farmers and where possible have made alterations that would allow us to meet the aims of the regulations while reducing the impact on businesses.”

This means that some farms will have up to five years to adapt and invest in upgrades and equipment in order to comply with the regulations.

Commenting on the announcement NFU Scotland’s Environmental Resources Policy Manager Sarah Cowie said:

“We welcome that Scottish Government has recognised and revised the proposals that were of highest concern to our farmers and crofters.

“When first published, the proposals drew a great deal of consternation and worry that significant capital investment for facilities and upgrades would be required to comply.”

However Cowie added that while some of the issues had been addressed, a clear omission from the Scottish Government announcement was any indication of what funding would be available to assist the industry to make necessary changes.

She said the only recent support for slurry storage had been through the limited agri-environment and climate change scheme – but it was unclear if this option would be available going forward:

“NFUS is clear that where significant capital investment is required by farm businesses, adequate, non-competitive funding should be provided to allow them to adapt and invest in upgrades and equipment in order to comply with the regulations.”