If your farm is in a nitrate vulnerable zone (NVZ), an area designated as being at risk from agricultural nitrate pollution, you must comply with nitrate vulnerable zone rules. The NVZ rules came into force on 1 January 2009, replacing the old NVZ action programme measures.
If you don’t comply with the NVZ rules, you may be prosecuted and fined. Farmers must also comply with the NVZ rules to be entitled to their full subsidy payment under the single payment scheme (SPS).
Is your farm in an NVZ?
The areas covered by NVZs were extended in 2008. All farms in NVZs must now comply with the NVZ rules.
You can find out if your farm is in an NVZ in Wales by looking at the maps on the Welsh Assembly Government website. You can see printed versions at the Welsh Assembly Government or local council offices.
Welsh Assembly Government: Nitrate vulnerable zones - review of zones
Welsh Assembly Government: Offices
Contact your local council
What you must do
If your farm is in an NVZ:
- You must not apply more nitrogen than your crops require. The NVZ rules set limits for certain crops on the amount of nitrogen from livestock manure and manufactured nitrogen fertilisers you can use.
- You must plan your nitrogen use before making any applications.
- You must produce a risk map for any land where you intend to spread organic manure.
- You must comply with limitations on spreading manufactured nitrogen fertilisers and organic manures.
- You must not exceed a loading of 170kg of total nitrogen per hectare per year (N/ha/year) from livestock manures averaged over the total area of your farm. This includes manure applied by spreading and manure deposited by grazing animals. This limit only applies to manure from grazing cattle, sheep, goats, deer, horses, pigs and poultry.
- You must comply with closed periods for spreading livestock manures and manufactured nitrogen fertilisers.
- You must provide adequate storage capacity for livestock manures so that you can observe the closed periods for spreading. You must have sufficient storage in place by 1 January 2012 at the latest.
- You must keep records of the nitrogen applied to each of your fields, and some records and calculations relating to your farm as a whole. You must keep all records for at least five years.
Follow the NVZ guidance booklets
Follow the Welsh Assembly Government guidance on NVZ rules for farmers. This includes a workbook with templates for plans, calculations and record keeping.
The guidance booklet explains each aspect of the NVZ rules.
The Farmers’ workbook includes templates for plans and helps break down the calculations you will need to do.
These are available on the Welsh Assembly Government website.
Welsh Assembly Government: Nitrate vulnerable zones
Apply for the derogation for grassland farmers
If you are a grassland farmer and meet certain conditions, you may be able to apply for a derogation from the 170kg N/ha/year limit on the amount of manure from grazing livestock you can put on your farm. The derogation would allow you to farm up to a limit of 250kg N/ha/year.
To be eligible for a derogation, at least 80 per cent of your farm must be grassland, and you must have sufficient land to comply with the 250kg N/ha/year limit. If your application is approved you will have to comply with additional requirements.
You have to apply for the derogation each year. For further details contact the NVZ Wales helpline on 01824 704060.
Further information on NVZs in Wales
Welsh Assembly Government: Nitrate vulnerable zones
Farmers and advisers, call the NVZ Wales helpline on 01824 704060 if you have technical queries (Monday to Friday 8am-5:30pm). Calls will be charged at the local rate.
You can use software tools to help with some of the calculations required under the NVZ rules. These are available free of charge from the Planet website, or by calling 08456 023864.
Planet - nutrient management
The Environment Agency has produced a set of questions and answers and detailed fact sheets on NVZ issues.
Environment Agency: NVZs guidance
