NFU Cymru has welcomed the appointment by Welsh Government of an independent chair to review the effectiveness of their Water Resources (Control of Agricultural Pollution) (Wales) Regulations 2021; however, as farmers continue to grapple with the cost and complexity of the regulations, the union has said the review must deliver practical changes to make the regulations more workable on farm.

The legislation requires that every four years Welsh Ministers must review the effectiveness of the measures imposed by the regulations as a means of reducing or preventing water pollution from agricultural sources and if necessary, revise them.

The Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies, has appointed an independent chair, Dr Susannah Bolton, Vice Principal for Enterprise and Knowledge Exchange for Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) to undertake the review.

NFU Cymru President Aled Jones said: “I welcome the appointment of Dr Susannah Bolton to undertake this review. I look forward to meeting with Dr Bolton at the earliest opportunity to discuss the terms of reference of the review, to listen to her plans for undertaking the review and to invite her on farm to see firsthand the experiences of farmers across Wales who are trying to grapple with the costs and complexity of these regulations.

“I look to this review as an opportunity to deliver a more practical set of regulations, including a long-term sustainable solution to the 170kg Organic Nitrogen limit, in effect a de facto stocking limit for Welsh farmers. We also want to see a move away from a farming by calendar approach through the use of new technology where possible; a root and branch review of the record keeping requirements and a thorough review of the current planning and regulatory regime that is a significant barrier to those looking to invest in new infrastructure on farm.”

This review is a priority issue for NFU Cymru. The union’s commitment to feeding into the review and proposing solutions is highlighted by the recent establishment of its own dedicated Water Quality Review Group, chaired by Martin Griffiths, a dairy farmer from Ceredigion.

Mr Griffiths said: “The appointment by Welsh Government of an independent chair to undertake their statutory review of the Water Resources Regulations is very timely given that our own review group met for the first time in early July. One of the first actions of the NFU Cymru review group has been to initiate an online survey, launched at the Royal Welsh Show, to gather feedback on farmer experiences of the regulations.

“Farmers are doing their utmost to comply with the regulations, but we are seeing farmers being penalised, not because of any increased pollution risk, purely due to the complexities, impracticalities and inflexibility of the regulations and associated record keeping requirements. Our survey is seeking farmer perspectives of the regulations, whether that be record keeping, Nitrogen limits, planning issues, investment requirements, experiences of inspections or the impact of the slurry storage and closed periods that come into force from 1st August 2024.

“The survey findings will make an invaluable contribution to our work, and I would encourage as many farmers as possible to get involved. NFU Cymru is committed to finding practical solutions to make the regulations work on farm and also ensure water quality issues are tackled where they are needed.

“This is going to be vital if we are to deliver the outcomes we all want to see, including the continued supply of affordable food, viable farm businesses and thriving rural communities and Welsh language.”

The NFU Cymru Control of Agricultural Pollution Regulations Survey can be accessed by visiting the NFU Cymru website. Members of the NFU Cymru team will also be able to assist in the completion of the form at county shows taking place over the coming weeks.