EFRA committee transcripts: Farming rules for water - Jan 11

The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee held a one-off evidence session to discuss the Farming Rules for Water Regulation on 11 January. 

The Farming Rules for Water aim to tackle diffuse water pollution from agriculture and are set out in these regulations. The Environment Agency’s guidance for farmers on what they need to do to comply with the regulation can be found here.  

We’ve previous written to the Environmental Agency about these regulations following concern from the sector about the impact the rules are having on their ability to spread of organic manure in the autumn, to meet the need of the spring crop. You can read out letter here and their response here.  

Witnesses: Environment Agency

Witnesses: Tenant Farmers Association, Stuart Colville (Director of Policy at Water UK), and Prof. Andrew Neal (Soil Microbiologist at Rothamsted Research)