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from left: Rhys Roberts, Joyce Watson AM, Geraint Williams, Owain Williams, William Powell and Bethan Jenkins AM[/caption]
Members of the Welsh Government’s Petitions Committee gained an insight into the impact of having a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone (NVZ) designation applied to a family farm when they made a Farmers' Union of Wales-organised visit to a Denbighshire farm.
The committee is currently considering a petition signed by over 40 people calling on the Welsh Assembly Government to overturn the proposed NVZ designation on the basin of Llangorse Lake that is likely to affect approximately 25 farm businesses.
The visit to the 500-acre Vale of Clwyd farm run by Geraint Williams and his son Owain was organised by FUW Denbighshire and Flintshire county executive officer Rhys Roberts who also took part in the discussions.
The committee, made up of four AMs from each of the four main parties and chaired by Mid and West Wales AM William Powell, were told Geraint and Owain Williams' dairy and beef enterprise was designated as a groundwater NVZ some 18 months ago.
Although the family appealed against the designation on the grounds that all the boreholes in the vicinity had nitrate levels significantly lower than the 50mg/l limit prescribed under the Nitrates Directive (91/676/EEC), their appeal was rejected and they now have to operate within the NVZ regulations.
The committee heard how Messrs Williams had had to employ the services of an independent consultant to calculate and prepare the detailed management plans required for the farm in relation to organic and inorganic manures, both for storage and application, which had resulted in considerable cost to them.
These records have to be maintained annually and adjusted accordingly to take account of weather and cropping changes.
In addition to the onerous record keeping, the farm had also required significant capital investment of about £80,000 to enlarge their existing slurry store to accommodate five months' worth of production and to buy a new slurry tanker complete with an injector system.
Owain Williams praised the Welsh Government for the 40% grant aid they had received for the capital expenditure but also pointed out that the grant application procedure had been very frustrating and time consuming to negotiate and complete.
Geraint Williams thanked the committee for visiting the farm and listening to their concerns and opinions on the NVZ designation while Mr Powell thanked Messrs Williams for welcoming them and giving the committee a valuable insight into the consequences of falling within an NVZ.
Mr Roberts said: “The visit provided a valuable opportunity for both parties to discuss the implications of a NVZ designation. The Petitions Committee members saw at first hand the financial and practical burden an NVZ designation imposes on farming businesses.”