‘Prepare now for winter slurry storage’

Livestock producers are being reminded to prepare now for winter slurry storage – and contact the Environment Agency with any concerns.

Wet weather throughout the year has already put pressures on slurry stores. And with further rain expected, the agency says it is important to have enough storage and a robust back up plan in place.

The agency’s Winter Ready campaign aims to support livestock producers across the country facing slurry storage issues. It includes some simple steps and solutions to tackle slurry storage issues:

• Ensure storage capacity is adequate for the winter – without the need to spread. Six months of storage will help comply with the requirements of the Farming Rules for Water to spread only according to crop and soil need.

• Cover slurry tanks, lagoons and pits – and ensure draining and clear guttering are working to ensure separation of clean and dirty water, meaning less rainwater mixes with slurry to increase its volume.

• Refrain from taking sludge, digestate or other materials if you don’t have an immediate need for them. Even if you are contracted to take these materials, all producers have a responsibility to ensure bi-products and waste are properly disposed of.

Nicola Riley, the agency’s deputy director for agriculture, said: “We know the profound impact that wet weather can have on farmers and their slurry storage. It is important we help farmers to get ready ahead of time.”

Agency staff were on hand to help farmers find the most appropriate solutions, said Ms Riley. Defra had already offered a Slurry Infrastructure Grant to help farmers improve or expand slurry storage capacity and make better use of organic nutrients.

Available advice

Other support includes a range of capital items available through Countryside Stewardship Capital Grants that can support farmers to reduce the amount of slurry generated on their farm.

This includes slurry store covers, roofing, concrete yards and drainage systems. A Catchment Sensitive Farming advisor can visit farms and provide advice on how these can best be utilised, said Ms Riley.

Many farmers have voiced concern about the best way to manage increased volumes of water. High rainfall this year means many farmers have accumulated more slurry. Yet at the same time they have been unable to spread it on their fields.

Researchers and farmers join forces on water

Scientists at Rothamsted Sesearch are pioneering a farmer-led water quality monitoring scheme as part of their new partnership with the Environmental Farmers Group (EFG).

Launched in May 2022, the EFG is a farmer-owned, farmer-led environmental cooperative aimed at securing the best environmental results and financial returns for a wide range of natural capital goods and services.

Members of the group have committed to ambitious environmental outcomes in the form of restoring biodiversity loss, getting cleaner water in our rivers and moving to net carbon zero farming by 2040.

Legal entity

The EFG started in the Hampshire Avon catchment, bringing together five existing Farmer Clusters into a proper legal entity, able to deliver more ambitious outcomes by working together.

Rothamsted professor Adie Collins has been helping EFG design a water quality monitoring scheme which enables farmers to better understand how they can benefit by reducing farm pollution in chalk streams.

“This number of farmers working together in a coordinated way will have the capacity to make a real difference to water quality and other outcomes from farming as they face the extant climate change crisis.”

EFG chairman Rob Shepherd said more than 400 farmers had joined the group to tackle biodiversity loss and climate change. “As farmers, we need to look to these emerging markets to support our contribution to the environment and food production.”