In response to the Welsh Government’s announcement of Control of Agricultural Pollution Regulations this week, CLA Cymru Director Nigel Hollett says:-
“All forms of pollution need to be addressed. Agricultural pollution is part of this challenge: the majority of farm businesses are responsible and not only comply, but are personally committed to caring for their environment as part of their daily lives.
The production of healthy food and drink in Wales is vital for present and future generations. The small numbers of farmers who cannot comply need support and assistance. Strongly we believe that well-intentioned farmers should have the opportunity to put-right issues that may have arisen from their land. We believe that sanctions, penalties and legal action should only be used as a last resort – and we will be giving this feedback to the Government’s Agriculture (Wales) Bill White Paper. The new scheme for supporting Welsh agriculture must accommodate for farmers not currently meeting the outlined standards - to change without compromising the viability of their businesses.
In the consultation process for these regulations we recommended that a more targeted approach, focussing attention and resources on areas with the highest incidences of agricultural pollution, would be a more efficient and fairer way to address the problem. We look forward to seeing the full details of the regulations as soon as they are published.”
