A national package of advice and support for farmers preparing for the new Nitrate Pollution Prevention Regulations has been launched by Defra. The regulations come into force on 1 January 2009 and update the UK’s implementation of the 1991 EU Nitrates Directive. Around 60 per cent of nitrate pollution in water is caused by agriculture, and it is vital that this is tackled to protect and sustain the quality of the UK’s drinking water. Farmers with land located in a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone (NVZ) will receive a letter within the next few days about how the new rules will affect them. As NVZs now cover almost 70 per cent of England, farmers who do not receive this letter should find out if they are in an NVZ using the detailed maps available on the Defra website.

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15 October 2008
© Department for Environment, Food And Rural Affairs (National)