Farming and the Environment: the Regulator’s view
Updated: 11:56:42
Alan Lovell DL, Chair, Environment Agency
Questions
Chaired by Minette Batters, NFU President
With the soon to be published ‘land use framework’ likely to layout significant demands on our finite land availability-the multi functional role of land on our farms is going to need to be properly considered and recognised. In the light of this, is the penny starting to drop around how desperately important it is to address catchment management to allow our land to deliver on this multifunctional role? The impact on farming communities and the land they manage has been immense in recent months
Given the polarisation of farming vs environment in some European farmer protests , do you endorse appropriate protest and campaigning in the UK that puts farming and environment hand in hand , but also stands up for the rights and voice of farmers for a fairer food system and land regeneration simultaneously?
For many poultry and livestock producers, investing in new muck storage systems is unaffordable. Even when they can access grant funding for projects, the planners then prevent them from getting a project off the ground. How can this problem be solved before many of these producers go out of business?
Do you think the public interest would be best served if the EA has responsibility for flood management in urban areas and responsibility for rural areas is passed to regional bodies such as Internal Drainage Boards ? Simeon Disley South Lincolnshire
In an example of ongoing flooding in Berkshire, a farm has been under significant amounts of water for several months, while privately owned sluice gates downstream are not fully opened. The Environment Agency locally have been sympathetic to the farmers, but the asset performance team lack the resources to use enforcement powers to lift the gates. Why is this the case and how is this being addressed for the future? The farm is facing losing their business.
You'll have seen first-hand the devastation of highly productive farmland in the Trent Valley and Lincolnshire Fens, caused by unnecessary flooding as a result of multiple years of lack of maintenance to natural and man-made watercourses. Food security is National Security. But HMG and the Environment Agency flood protection undermines food production, flooding our most productive land, setting rural against urban, and failing to maintain flood defences to their constructed standard. What is the Agency going to change? (Resubmitted wording)
The UK has enough water - we need to improve its storage, transfer and availability. When can we expect to see the Environment Agency putting forward a visionary plan for a 21st century UK water infrastructure?
How do the EA suggest we work together as farmers and then with the agency? Given the impact post the waste water companies cleaning up with access to funding the Agri industry does not have access too.?
Can you leave the link open for those online post the scheduled end time as I suspect this will overrun and very keen to hear all the questions
Instead of a penalty fine farmers maybe support with solving the issue together would be a better way forward, as opposed to the water companies who can pass the cost on to its customers
We have major river running through out farm. Please let me know if I can pull out fallen trees from river with out getting EA permission .
Pollution incidents, agriculture compared to water companies. Does the slide showing agriculture at 40% reflect incidences of pollution or volume of contaminated water released/affected.
When will the environment agency and natural England finally see eye to eye?. It seems the environment agency takes one view on an issue and genuinely wants to help farmers and land managers, only for natural England to come along and halt all progress.
Engaging with farmers on a regular basis has enabled me to listen to many farmers experiences with the environment agency. Without trying to be too negative, I’m yet to hear a wholly positive story with many farmers having to consider 5 & 6 figure investments to secure their futures. How are the environment agency planning to adapt to be better perceived by farmers as a support tool to help protect the environment and improve their business resilience?
Thismorning we listened to jack bobo about been more sustainable and productive in a ever changing environment. We in the uk are missing a trick we are about the only place in the world that has everything at its fingertips surly gets rid of water fast and collecting water at the right time is key instead of changing farms and blaming them for everything . I for one am not perfect or a pioneer in farming im just a simple farmer that is patriotic about our beautiful island and what we all do.
The Government's Clean Air Strategy 2019 states that, in England, all slurry stores must be covered by 2027. However, this may pose significant health and safety risks to Farmers who can be exposed to lethal levels of slurry gases whilst they stir and empty slurry from covered stores. Is the Environment Agency and DEFRA prioritising environmental targets over Farmers’ health and safety?
test question 4
The Environment Agency are responsible for the ridiculous situation in Norfolk where we have lost crops and land to floods yet are unable to abstract this water to fill reservoirs, what are you going to do about it?
With many of the agri environmental schemes aimed at reducing production of farmland or taking it out of food production all together, where is the evidence that scrub land can sequester more carbon than my productive perennial ryegrass? And why is there no recognition of the environmental benefit that productive farmland already has in sequestering carbon from the atmosphere?
Ahead of an expected Environment Agency consultation which we anticipate proposing to introduce charges and make changes to the waste exemption regime, it's important to remember that so-called “wastes” often find new uses on farms as an asset. Many activities are often part of the day-to-day farm business operations and do not pose a great risk to the environment. Examples include, ‘end of life’ tyres repurposed to cover silage sheeting on farm, or ash, ditch dredgings or plant material spread to land for agricultural benefit. We therefore question the value of regulating some types of farm activities under any chargeable regime, and ask that as part of this forthcoming consultation, the Environment Agency undertakes a considered review of the list of waste exemptions to ensure long-term suitability for our industry and importantly, does not to add yet more cost to our increasingly pressed sector at this time.
The River Witham carries a lot of Lincolnshire's water through Boston before heading into the wash and after visiting Boston last week, it's clear there are huge problems there, the new Barrier is causing a restriction to water getting out to sea. Why was the lock not installed at the side of the barrier which has meant pumps and other locks cannot be used because the barrier won't cope with the extra water.
Farmers in Norfolk have been hit with having their irrigation licences revoked and flooding this year, what measures are you putting in place to prevent this from happening again?
The extreme winter weather and 30 years of maintenance underfunding and misspending has led to 13 breaches in embanked Lincolnshire main rivers and over 4,000ha of farmland underwater. Maintenance of our water infrastructure is key to reduce flood risk, protect the environment and safeguard food security. The EA, IDBs and farmers need to work in partnership to improve water movement and better utilise our funding resource. Alan, can we work together to give the Fens a future?
Defra was created in 2001 during FMD to join up “rural delivery”. Its constituent agencies, RPA, EA, NE and APHA were designed expressly to deliver and demonstrate compliance with EU Directives and Regulations. As this is no longer a requirement does the Defra structure require a radical restructure to focus on post Brexit UK objectives and priorities?
Since your visit to my farm near Poole Harbour, farmers have made tremendous progress completing the NLT and adopting best practice - despite last minute changes to the NLT, introduced without consultation that have given us fewer options to deliver change. We feel penalised for doing a good job. With the NLT rolled out to neighbouring catchments & beyond, my firm view is that we need to put the brakes on. Please can you ensure that the NLT receives significant investment to make it user friendly & fit for purpose, and that NLT development receives national scrutiny from the EA, not just unchallenged local changes?
The Government's Clean Air Strategy states that, in England, all slurry stores must be covered by 2027. However, this poses a significant health and safety risk for farmers stirring and emptying slurry, especially from covered stores, due to exposure to toxic slurry gases. Is the Environment Agency and DEFRA prioritising environmental targets over farmers health and safety?