AMDDIFFYN FFERMWYR AC ANSAWDD DŴR AR YNYS MÔN
PROTECTING FARMERS AND WATER QUALITY ON ANGLESEY

Recently Virginia Crosbie and her fellow Conservative MPs in Wales wrote a letter to Welsh Government criticising the creation of an All-Wales Nitrate-Vulnerable Zone, which would require better storage of slurry. This shows a serious lack of awareness of the environmental and health benefits of this measure. Slurry storage and application of stored slurry as a fertilizer are major sources of pollution of the natural environment in Wales. The proposed controls would reduce not only nitrate in water supplies but also ammonia and methane emissions.

According to the Anglesey Area Statement prepared by the Public Services Board in 2018, the two main drinking water reservoirs on Anglesey (Cefni and Alaw) are classified as being of only moderate quality and are therefore failing the European Commission Water Framework Directive (WFD) criteria for adequate quality.

Action is needed, and Welsh Government is rightly committed to ensuring there is no drop in environmental standards in Wales once Brexit occurs.

Going forward, the focus needs to be on market conditions and their impacts on farmers’ incomes, rather than on any reduction or restriction of environmental protections.

We therefore very much welcome Welsh Government’s announcement (11 May) that Welsh dairy farmers hardest hit (>25% reduction in income) by the exceptional market conditions due to COVID-19 will be compensated up to a total of £10,000.