The Farmers’ Union of Wales has welcomed the publication by a Senedd Committee of its review of the ‘NVZ’ regulations - but has called for the recommendations to be implemented in full.

The Senedd’s Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs (ETRA) Committee published its review of the Resources (Control of Agricultural Pollution) (Wales) Regulations 2021 this week having heard and read evidence from the FUW and other stakeholders.

The report came as the result of a vote in June 2021 in which Senedd Members unanimously agreed to review the regulations just months after they had been passed by the pre May 2021 election Senedd - but the publication of the report was delayed due to a judicial review.

FUW Senior Policy officer Gareth Parry said: “We welcome the committee’s report which takes into consideration the concerns raised in our written and oral evidence submissions and recommends ways in which the Welsh Government should address them.

"For example, recommendation one suggests that ‘the Welsh Government should re-introduce the derogation which allowed qualifying grassland farms to spread up to 250 kg per hectare of nitrogen’ in line with nitrate vulnerable zones in other UK and European countries, and others focus on alternative measures.”

The FUW has long maintained that the regulations in their current form are disproportionate and should be amended to target agricultural pollution issues first and foremost, moves which would address such issues.

Mr Parry added: “Nevertheless, our attention now turns to ensuring the Welsh Government, and Plaid Cymru as part of the cooperation agreement, gives this report the attention it deserves when responding to the committee’s recommendations and seeks to mitigate the severe consequences of the regulations in their current form.”

“The FUW will be discussing the report in detail with Members of the Senedd ahead of a debate in the coming weeks to ensure that the recommendations are implemented in full, and thanks the committee for their work on this inquiry,” he added.