NFU rebuts incorrect claims in The Guardian

31 May 2022

NFU Deputy President Tom Bradshaw writes to The Guardian in response to their erroneous claims about NVZs.

We have responded to an article in The Guardian which makes false claims about the NFU and NVZs.

The article claimed the NFU’s work supporting members with NVZ appeals was part of efforts to ‘push back against designations intended to reduce pollution in waterways’. This is incorrect.

Read the letter here.

Contrary to the spin in your article [Farmers’ union funding legal challenges to curbs on using river pollutants], farmers and the NFU agree that preserving water quality is paramount and to suggest that the NFU is pushing for deregulation of farming in this area is simply incorrect.

Many farmers believe that their land has been incorrectly designated as a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone and the NFU is simply offering legal support to those farmers who wish to appeal. Those appeals are then heard by an independent body and we would always respect the decision made.

The fact that this independent tribunal has upheld 70% of these appeals suggests that the land had been incorrectly designated. Perhaps the focus should be on creating an accurate process which is not flawed in the first place in order to achieve better water quality with meaningful results, while protecting our domestic food production.

Tom Bradshaw
NFU Deputy President

NVZ

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