15th February 2023

All farmers and landowners in Wales need to be aware of the new regulations (formally NVZs) which have been introduced gradually since 2021. They apply to everyone with an agricultural land and an agricultural business, including Landowners who let their land out on grazing licenses and don’t own stock themselves. Failure to comply could result in financial penalties, failed farm assurance checks or prosecution. 

Do you know what you need to do to meet the new regulations?  

Requirements from 1 January 2023: 

1. Keep a farm Risk Map  
2. Keep a Nutrient Management Plan 
3. Abide by the Closed Periods for spreading manufactured fertiliser and organic fertiliser 
4. Use low trajectory or slow slurry spreading equipment 
5. Store manure (other than slurry) in either a vessel, a covered building, on an impermeable surface, or in a temporary field heap 
6. Calculate the amount of manure your livestock produce 
7. Calculate your current manure storage capacity and your required storage capacity 
8. Limit your application of Nitrogen from Organic fertiliser to 250kg/ha (reduces to 170kg/ha from 30 April 2023) 
9. Record any imports and exports of manure 
10. Plan and record spreading of all fertiliser (organic and inorganic) for the forthcoming year 
11. By 30 April each year record your previous 12 months stocking to prove you’ve met the Nitrogen limits of 170kg/ha 
12. Ensure organic fertiliser spread on bare land is incorporated within 24 hours 

From 30 April 2023 all holdings will need to demonstrate on the Nutrient Management Plan that they are not exceeding 170kg of Nitrogen per hectare (including fertiliser spread on the land and direct excreta from grazing stock) 

Requirements from 1^st August 2024: 

1. Have enough slurry storage capacity for 6 months for pig and poultry, or 5 months for other livestock (include rainfall and washings in your calculations)  
2. Abide by the Closed Periods for spreading  slurry, as well as the existing Closed Period for inorganic fertiliser 

Closed Periods for spreading Inorganic fertiliser (from 1^st April 2021) 

Grassland	Tillage land
15 September to 15 January	1 September to 15 January

Closed Periods for spreading slurry (from 1^st August 2024) 

Soil type	Grassland	Tillage land
Sandy or shallow soil	1 September to 31 December	1 August to 31 December
All other soils	15 October to 15 January	1 October to 31 January

How can we help? 

We can assist in the creation of Risk Maps and Nutrient Management Plans to help you meet the requirements and calculate your Nitrogen limit and storage requirements. If you cannot meet these then we can assist by finding other land to spread on, planning applications for manure stores, and grant advice to aid you financially. Alternatively, if you are under the Nitrogen limit then there may be opportunity to earn some money from your land by selling Spreading Rights to others who are struggling on their own land.

For more advice please contact your nearest office:

Welshpool: 01938 554499 Clare Williams or Amy Thomas 

Carmarthen: 07498 717778 Gail Jenkins

Oswestry/Shrewsbury: Head office 01691 655334 Richard Corbett, Rosina Riddle or Philippa Maddocks