Guidance and support for farmers in Nitrate Vulnerable Zones in England and Wales and the 2010 Farmer Survey results.
In England
You can download guidance leaflets describing the rules farmers in nitrate vulnerable zones (NVZs) must follow from Defra's website, or by calling the Defra Library on 020 7238 6575.
In Wales
For information about NVZs in Wales please visit the Welsh Assembly Government website:
Wales NVZ helpline
Farmers in Wales who have technical queries on the rules can call the NVZ helpline on 01824 704 060 (Monday to Friday, 8.30am - 5pm). Calls will be charged at the local rate.
Additional guidance
We have produced some questions and answers, and some detailed fact sheets on NVZs to supplement the main guidance described above:
Nutrient management
PLANET
PLANET nutrient management is a free computer program developed by ADAS (an independent provider of environmental solutions, rural development services and policy advice) with funding from the Environment Agency and Defra. It provides extra help with some of the calculations required under the new rules.
For more information visit the PLANET website or telephone 08456 023 864.
Tried and Tested Nutrient Management Plan
Industry (AIC, FWAG, LEAF, NFU and CLA) and the England Catchment Sensitive Farming Delivery Initiative (ECSFDI) has worked together to deliver a second edition of the Tried and Tested nutrient management plan.
The booklet will make nutrient planning and recording simple and practical for you and your farm. It will also help you meet the latest NVZ regulations:
2010 Farmer Survey
During 2010, a survey was carried out for us among farmers by the respected researcher, Ipsos-MORI. The overarching aim of this research was to understand how effective Defra and the Environment Agency have been in communicating with farmers about NVZs. The research involved a 15-minute telephone survey among 750 farmers and ten in-depth interviews.
The research found that most farmers feel there is a lot of helpful advice available for farmers in NVZs and that Defra and the Environment Agency have done a good job of explaining the regulations applying to farms in NVZs. However, it also found that many farmers remain unaware of their NVZ designation.
You can download the full report from the link below:
