Clean air strategy suggests stricter controls on farm fertilisers

The government has published a draft of a Clean Air Strategy which outlines how it intends to reduce air pollution. We look at what this newly-published document could mean for the farming industry.

When people talk about why they enjoy spending time in the countryside they often mention the joy of getting out in the “fresh air”.

But the government’s Clean Air Strategy suggests the air is not as fresh as it would like it to be and, as a result, the farming industry is facing stricter controls.

The strategy points out that agriculture is the main source of UK ammonia emissions, accounting for 88% in 2016, which can damage sensitive habitats and contribute to smog in urban areas.

Ammonia also reacts with nitrogen oxides and sulphur to form contaminants which can impact on human health.

In addition, agriculture accounts for around 51% of methane emissions and 14% of non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOC) emissions, known to contribute to ozone damage.

So what does this mean?

The government has already taken steps to help farmers reduce ammonia emissions – for example, the Farming Ammonia Grant Reduction Scheme and funding for manure management equipment through the Countryside Productivity Scheme.

It indicates that it will continue to support farmers to invest in farm infrastructure and equipment that will reduce emissions and will be running demonstration events in the autumn to showcase how this can be done.

But the new document says more needs to be done if we are to achieve targets on cutting emissions, which means additional regulation is likely to be on the way.

The government is proposing three approaches which could be introduced separately or in combination. They are:

1) Introduction of new nitrogen limits

A group of independent specialists will be asked to make recommendations by November 2019 on the maximum limits for organic and inorganic fertilisers, taking into account economic efficiency and efforts to reduce ammonia and greenhouse gas emissions.

2) Extension of environmental permitting to large dairy farms by 2025

Ammonia emissions arising from dairy cattle are estimated to account for around 28% of all UK agricultural emissions, but are not currently regulated. The strategy suggests adopting similar environmental permit controls for larger dairy farms as apply to pig and poultry units.

3) Rules on specific emission-reducing practices

A range of regulations are proposed under this heading which would help to cut emissions.

These include:

• A proposal to make it a requirement by 2020 for urea-based fertilisers to be spread in conjunction with urease inhibitors, unless applied by injection

• A requirement for all solid manure and solid digestate spread to bare land to be incorporated within 12 hours by 2022

• New design standards for livestock housing

• The requirement for all slurry and digestate stores and manure heaps to be covered by 2027.

• A requirement to spread slurries by trailing shoe, trailing hose or injection by 2027.

A public consultation on the Clean Air Strategy closes on 14 August 2018.