Plaid Cymru designated member for the Co-Operation Agreement with the Welsh Government, Member of the Senedd for Mid and West Wales.
Shortly after I was elected as member of the Senedd for Mid and West Wales in May, 2021, I accompanied Elin Jones and Ben Lake, Ceredigions Members of the Senedd and Parliament, to a farm in Llanrhystud, overlooking Cardigan Bay.
During the visit, I met with local farmers and the number one topic, discussed over the homemade cake, was the Water Resources Regulations commonly referred to as Nitrate Vulnerable Zone regulations
I will not forget what I was told: My family has farmed this land for generations. We have farmed through crisis after crisis. We have kept on going, but I do not know how we are going to survive this.
The farmers that we met were clear continuing with a blanket approach across Wales would be disproportionate and potentially disastrous for the family farm.
The implications of the looming cliff edge of the 170 kg/hectare annual holding nitrogen limit for stocking levels would, we were told, necessitate herd sizes to be reduced, with far reaching consequences for the viability of individual farm businesses, as well as the wider economy of rural Wales.
The costs and practicalities of funding alterations to farms, to ensure compliance with storage requirements, was also a great concern.
The regulations came into force on April ,1 2021, following the failure of a motion before the last Senedd election to annul them.
The regulations place new requirements on farmers across Wales around the storage, spreading and management of slurry and other fertilisers on their farms. In March 2022, the NFUs attempt to challenge the regulations through judicial review was unsuccessful.
However, as designated member under the Co-operation Agreement between Plaid Cymru and the Welsh Government, working alongside Party Leader Adam Price and other party colleagues, we have been able to secure a way forward that can work for both farmers and the environment.
In Plaid Cymru, we have always been steadfast in our commitment to protect the interests of the agricultural community in Wales.
And, sure enough, on October 5, 2022, it was announced that the regulations introducing the 170kg/ha annual holding nitrogen limit requirement would be delayed until April, 2023.
That will be accompanied by a consultation this autumn on a licensing scheme, whereby any farm business would be able to apply for a licence for a higher annual holding nitrogen limit of 250kg/ha, subject to crop need and other legal considerations.
What we have fought for and secured is a smarter approach to controlling pollution, targeting polluters and helping to protect our waterways, while also ensuring a more proportionate approach with some flexibility.
There will also be a further, specific Regulatory Impact Assessment considering the economic and environmental impacts of the 170kg/ha annual holding nitrogen limit, with the implications of this assessment for the future deployment of the regulations to be reviewed.
20 million of additional funding will also be made available to support compliance with regulations.
Parallel work will look to accelerate potential alternative technological solutions to the problem of water pollution and how Wales could become a world-leader in applying science to addressing this environmental challenge.
It is so important now that farmers and members of the Welsh agricultural community contribute to the consultation on a licensing scheme when it opens, to ensure the next steps are informed by those working under these regulations on the ground.
Protecting the Welsh family farm continues to be a key priority for Plaid Cymru. We will continue to fight for Wales rural and agricultural communities, ensuring that farmers have a voice and that the Welsh Government listens.
Ensure your voice is heard in the consultation and let us all band together to protect our agriculture and our environment now and for the future.
