Emissions from Dairy Farms
Friday 1st June 2018 in Farm Research & Development
By Peter Danks, Director RAC
The farming press has made much of the regulations and restrictions likely to face fertiliser, manure and slurry applications under the Government’s much anticipated Clean Air Strategy.
Relegated to a small mention are proposals to extend environmental controls which currently only apply to larger pig and poultry installations to large dairy farms. Not only is it likely that slurry and manure stores will have to be covered, but buildings will have to meet mandatory design standards to reduce ammonia emissions to air.
This proposal is despite a 19% reduction in ammonia emissions from agriculture between 1990 and 2015, announced this week by AHDB Dairy, Dairy UK and the NFU in the Dairy Roadmap 10th Anniversary Report, a trend that shows no sign of stopping.
All dairy farmers considering new developments should consider taking these changes into account in order to avoid having to carry out expensive retrospective works to bring their farm up to standard in future.
You can make your response to the draft strategy direct to Defra, or ask questions of the Air Quality Team via cleanair.consultations@defra.gsi.gov.uk