In its response to a DEFRA consultation setting out the government’s plans for the UK’s post-Brexit transition from the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy, the EA noted that the dairy sector currently sits outside of the environmental permitting regulations regime used for other intensive agriculture sectors, such as pigs and poultry.
The Times article on 8 May reported on the EA’s consultation response and quoted a number of inaccurate stats about the dairy sector. This letter was sent in response.
Sir
The NFU recognises that there are some pollution incidents on dairy farms which happen for a variety of reasons, some of which are beyond the farmers’ control (Strip subsidies from farmers who pollute, says environment chief, The Times, May 8). Weather can play a major contributing factor, for example.
British dairy farmers take their environmental responsibilities very seriously and have worked hard to reduce their impact on the environment. Agriculture is a highly regulated industry and this has resulted in the Environment Agency (EA) reporting a decline in the long-term trend of pollution incidents linked back to farming - in 2015 the EA reported that there had been a 23% drop in pollution incidents in the dairy sector.
Improved advice to farmers, the implementation of good practice, investment in storage capacity and machinery has also played a part in this improving picture. In fact, over the past ten years we have seen a significant rise in the number of dairy farmers monitoring their water use and managing water quality effectively.
One of the priority areas the NFU has highlighted in our response to the Government’s Command Paper on future agricultural policy includes the need for support aimed at farm infrastructure, such as slurry storage and cattle housing, to help both improve dairy cow health and welfare and lower the environmental impact of farm holdings.
The Dairy Roadmap, that unites the full supply chain including farmers, processors, retailers, government and industry partners, is this year celebrating its 10th anniversary. This document demonstrates defined environmental targets and clearly shows how farmers are working hard to implement environmentally friendly methods.
Through the NFU’s Dairy Environmental Issues Group we meet regularly with the EA, Defra, Red Tractor and various consultants to identify good practice in the dairy sector and to bring together farmers and industry representatives to identify, discuss and propose solutions to some of the environmental challenges that we face.
NFU national dairy board chairman Michael Oakes