Agriculture Bill post Covid-19

[midlandslad]

The next stage for the new bill is 13 May 2020.

Will we see any changes to the current bill or just a case of press on regardless?

 

[Yale]

Think most government ministers will be side tracked by events.

Unfortunately I’d suspect it won‘t get the attention it deserves.

 

[Ffermer Bach]

I am worried that the message for the whole of this crisis is that the supermarkets are wonderful and have "saved" us, not that agriculture is vital. I watched Ffermio the other week and the welsh agriculture minister said something like, we are making the whole of Wales a NVZ, it won't effect most farmers as they don't pollute, well if they don't pollute, why do they need it? Farming is on it's arse at the moment, I know, why don't we heap on more costs!

I have just got a new diesel tank, my neighbor asked me do we need a double bunded tank for the house heating oil too? I said no, only the diesel, and he asked doesn't kerosene pollute the ground if it leaks then? What is the difference between Kero and Red Diesel?

 

[Al R]

I am worried that the message for the whole of this crisis is that the supermarkets are wonderful and have "saved" us, not that agriculture is vital. I watched Ffermio the other week and the welsh agriculture minister said something like, we are making the whole of Wales a NVZ, it won't effect most farmers as they don't pollute, well if they don't pollute, why do they need it? Farming is on it's arse at the moment, I know, why don't we heap on more costs!

I have just got a new diesel tank, my neighbor asked me do we need a double bunded tank for the house heating oil too? I said no, only the diesel, and he asked doesn't kerosene pollute the ground if it leaks then? What is the difference between Kero and Red Diesel?

Heating oil tanks don’t usually come much bigger than 2,000 litre for households. Red diesel tanks tend to be 5,000+ ?‍
a friend had a heating oil tank split the other day and he filled 8 rubbish wheely bins once he tipped the crap out

 

[GeorgeK]

I think funding will be the biggest hurdle as we will drop into recession for a while. Tax receipts down, government spending up = big squeeze on all budgets.
There will also be the debate of cheaper imported food vs food quality/security, again this will come down to money, if unemployment rises and voters fall on hard times what will they see as more important?
Finally I have a big problem with trusting the government to deliver, these are the same people who fiddle the numbers on life saving supplies by counting a pair of gloves as 2 pieces of PPE

 

[Ffermer Bach]

I think funding will be the biggest hurdle as we will drop into recession for a while. Tax receipts down, government spending up = big squeeze on all budgets.
There will also be the debate of cheaper imported food vs food quality/security, again this will come down to money, if unemployment rises and voters fall on hard times what will they see as more important?
Finally I have a big problem with trusting the government to deliver, these are the same people who fiddle the numbers on life saving supplies by counting a pair of gloves as 2 pieces of PPE

or flying to Turkey to get a plane load of PPE that can't be used

 

[Pistonbroke]

I am worried that the message for the whole of this crisis is that the supermarkets are wonderful and have "saved" us, not that agriculture is vital. I watched Ffermio the other week and the welsh agriculture minister said something like, we are making the whole of Wales a NVZ, it won't effect most farmers as they don't pollute, well if they don't pollute, why do they need it? Farming is on it's arse at the moment, I know, why don't we heap on more costs!

I have just got a new diesel tank, my neighbor asked me do we need a double bunded tank for the house heating oil too? I said no, only the diesel, and he asked doesn't kerosene pollute the ground if it leaks then? What is the difference between Kero and Red Diesel?

One rep told me that if the oil is heating a business premises it has to be bunded. " So is the farmhouse business?" I asked,and he just shrugged his shoulders

 

[neilo]

I am worried that the message for the whole of this crisis is that the supermarkets are wonderful and have "saved" us, not that agriculture is vital. I watched Ffermio the other week and the welsh agriculture minister said something like, we are making the whole of Wales a NVZ, it won't effect most farmers as they don't pollute, well if they don't pollute, why do they need it? Farming is on it's arse at the moment, I know, why don't we heap on more costs!

I'm sorry, but I have seen a shocking amount of poor practice going on regarding spreading slurry, even on waterlogged fields right next to rivers during the winter ffs! It's that sort of practice that has brought NVZ restrictions on all of us, as it was in the original areas in England. It will bring extra costs on some, who have expanded stock numbers without increasing slurry storage capacity, but for most it will just mean (yet more) paperwork & recording.

I have just got a new diesel tank, my neighbor asked me do we need a double bunded tank for the house heating oil too? I said no, only the diesel, and he asked doesn't kerosene pollute the ground if it leaks then? What is the difference between Kero and Red Diesel?

Haven't new domestic tanks had to have been double skinned for a long time now, much like red tanks? For farm tanks the regs have been phased in over many years, and I expect the same will happen for domestic tanks eventually, but their smaller size does make them less of a risk.

 

[Wombat]

I am worried that the message for the whole of this crisis is that the supermarkets are wonderful and have "saved" us, not that agriculture is vital. I watched Ffermio the other week and the welsh agriculture minister said something like, we are making the whole of Wales a NVZ, it won't effect most farmers as they don't pollute, well if they don't pollute, why do they need it? Farming is on it's arse at the moment, I know, why don't we heap on more costs!

I have just got a new diesel tank, my neighbor asked me do we need a double bunded tank for the house heating oil too? I said no, only the diesel, and he asked doesn't kerosene pollute the ground if it leaks then? What is the difference between Kero and Red Diesel?

Considering we have been in an NVZ since the late 90's i think its time the rest of the UK caught up as we have been shouldering the costs for decades longer

 

[Werzle]

Wales has an awful problem with slurry, the silage even stinks of it.

 

[Steevo]

Considering we have been in an NVZ since the late 90's i think its time the rest of the UK caught up as we have been shouldering the costs for decades longer

Or better yet remove you from NVZ!

 

[Wombat]

Or better yet remove you from NVZ!

yes but i have more chance of winning Euromillions, also the first rounds got very little/if any grants so we should just make it everyone in or everyone out

 

[neilo]

yes but i have more chance of winning Euromillions, also the first rounds got very little/if any grants so we should just make it everyone in or everyone out

I seem to recall getting a 50% grant on a slurry separator and associated works when NVZs first came in, in the early 90’s.

NVZs are a sledgehammer to crack a nut, brought on everyone by the irresponsible actions of a minority. The one good thing that can come out of it is to make people value slurry & muck as a valuable fertiliser resource, rather than something to get rid of all winter.

 

[Lincsman]

I'm sorry, but I have seen a shocking amount of poor practice going on regarding spreading slurry, even on waterlogged fields right next to rivers during the winter ffs! It's that sort of practice that has brought NVZ restrictions on all of us, as it was in the original areas in England. It will bring extra costs on some, who have expanded stock numbers without increasing slurry storage capacity, but for most it will just mean (yet more) paperwork & recording.



Haven't new domestic tanks had to have been double skinned for a long time now, much like red tanks? For farm tanks the regs have been phased in over many years, and I expect the same will happen for domestic tanks eventually, but their smaller size does make them less of a risk.

Domestic heating tanks even on farms do not need to be bunded, building control will confirm, that can be heating oil as in kero or diesel, at least thats what they told me 4 years ago here in north Lincs.

 

[Kidds]

I'm sorry, but I have seen a shocking amount of poor practice going on regarding spreading slurry, even on waterlogged fields right next to rivers during the winter ffs!

Standard practice around here, nobody gives a f**k. Even have one guy who just tips his straight into the stream when it's full and his stores are getting full. Usually on a Friday evening when EA bods have all gone home. EA couldn't give a toss and that's in NVZ

 

[Wombat]

I seem to recall getting a 50% grant on a slurry separator and associated works when NVZs first came in, in the early 90’s.

NVZs are a sledgehammer to crack a nut, brought on everyone by the irresponsible actions of a minority. The one good thing that can come out of it is to make people value slurry & muck as a valuable fertiliser resource, rather than something to get rid of all winter.

There was nothing in this area and a large chunk of the pollution came from the local sewage works they sampled near

I actually have no major issues with them, especially when i drive to the inlaws in the lake district and see people pouring it on, in the snow in Jan on slopes.

 

[Steevo]

Standard practice around here, nobody gives a fudge. Even have one guy who just tips his straight into the stream when it's full and his stores are getting full. Usually on a Friday evening when EA bods have all gone home. EA couldn't give a toss and that's in NVZ

Shows what good the NVZ is doing there then.....!

 

[Chae1]

The next stage for the new bill is 13 May 2020.

Will we see any changes to the current bill or just a case of press on regardless?

I don't think the government will have any spare money after all the additional costs of dealing with covid.

Farm payments will be reduced as a result.

 

[GeorgeC1]

Think most government ministers will be side tracked by events.

Unfortunately I’d suspect it won‘t get the attention it deserves.

What's in the Agriculture bill that needs changing out of curiosity?

 

[glasshouse]

or flying to Turkey to get a plane load of PPE that can't be used

Was it left hand drove ppe?