Farms in £25m water clean-up plan
December 19, 2005
A £25m scheme to help farmers reduce the pollutants that run off their land is being launched by the government.
Advisers will visit farms in England and hold workshops to help cut the contamination of rivers and lakes by pesticides, manure and fertilisers.
Nutrients, including phosphorus and nitrogen, washed off farms because of soil erosion boost the growth of algae that starve fish and plants of oxygen.
It can also mean expensive extra treatment for drinking water.
Removing harmful pesticides and nitrates from drinking water costs an estimated £7 every year for each water customer, according to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
Polluted rivers, lakes, estuaries and coastal waters also harm the tourist industry, Defra adds.
Under the scheme, farmers will be asked to use smaller quantities of fertiliser, manure and pesticides and to keep livestock, which erode soil, away from rivers.
Environment Minister Elliot Morley said: "We are playing our part by paying for a network of expert advisers to provide free advice.
"Now I am looking for a positive reaction from the farming industry."
Environment Agency Chief executive Barbara Young said: "We can use the skills and resources available to us for the good of the environment and the farming economy."
The scheme has been welcomed by the chief executives of the Rural Development Service, John Adams, and of English Nature, Andy Brown.
In a joint statement, they said: "We will be combining the technical expertise and experience in engaging with farmers, of both our organisations... with that of the Environment Agency, to make sure this initiative works."
Print this page