DECISION ON NVZs – A BLOW FOR THE BORDERS AND DUMFRIESSHIRE

12.00.00am GMT Fri 30th Nov 2007

Jim Hume, MSP for the South of Scotland and Environment Spokesperson, has spoken out Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs) and has called on the government to make sure appropriate support is made available to farmers who may be forced into spending ten of thousands of pounds on additional slurry storage facilities.

Jim Hume said:-

“This is a real blow to farmers whose businesses fall into the 14% of Scotland’s farmland designated nitrate vulnerable.

“There are four designated NVZs in Scotland mostly in the east and in Dumfriesshire so my constituents in the Eastern Borders and Dumfriesshire will potentially be hit very hard by the changes.

“The cost of additional on farm slurry storage facilities as a result of the new rules has been estimated at tens of thousands of pounds – many farms will not be able to absorb this onerous obligation.

The MSP continued:-

“That’s why I’m calling on the government to make sure that the impact of the new rules is kept to a bare minimum. Measures must be put in place to help land managers adhere to the law of the land.

“I’m also seeking an assurance that if any financial help is made available, it is not simply taken from the Scottish Rural Development Plan (SRDP) as this could have a negative impact on other areas of the agricultural sector.

“It’s nonsensical that this decision has been taken and the Scottish Government ought to think more about what they can do for a successful, sustainable farming industry and cutting red tape as they promised in their manifesto rather than place intolerable burdens on a sector that has already seen its share of difficulties this year.

”I shall continue to press the government on a fair deal for my constituents in the Borders and Dumfriesshire.”