Held in a livestock market here, the meeting was the seventh organized by the National Farmers Union Scotland (NFUS). Addressing these well-attended events have been representatives of the Scottish Executive, the governing body of Scotland, as well as soil and geological experts. The Scottish Executive says it plans to designate 20 percent of the country, including virtually all the arable land, as "nitrate vulnerable zones" or NVZs. Restrictions on use of nitrate fertilizer and manure use are to be imposed on 14,500 farmers in those areas late next year.

This move comes in response to a European Union (EU) directive stating that member states must take action when nitrate levels reach more than 50 milligrams per liter of water. Water polluted with these levels of nitrates has been linked to cancer and encourages explosive growth of algae, which deprives fish and plant life of oxygen in rivers and lochs. London has yet to decide how to repond to the directive in England.

"The gloves were off," reported the Press and Journal after the first meeting took place in Fife. The paper reports "round one" went to the farmers. NFUS leader Rog Wood reported 200 farmers meeting in Dumfries were unanimous in their opposition to the plan. Attacking the Scottish Executive, he added that "many felt [they were] using a sledgehammer to crack a nut."

This reaction of farmers is significant in the wake of the devastating impact of the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the United Kingdom. The government culled 6 million animals to try to stop the spread of the disease and imposed widespread restrictions on sale and movement of all other livestock. Farmers whose stock was killed were compensated, but those who ended up unable to sell livestock trapped on their farms received nothing.

The Financial Times reported February 20 that in the wake of the foot-and-mouth disease, one in 10 farmers is planning to leave the industry. London has sought from the start to take advantage of the blow this dealt to working farmers to reorganize agriculture to better suit the needs of big business. For example, the main recommendation of a recent government commission is to end general production subsidies that many working farmers depend on, and instead to direct payments towards so-called "agri-environmental schemes."  
 
Few government facts
Many farmers at the NVZ meetings have disputed the claims that nitrate levels are too high. At the meeting here, NFUS leader Cameron Ewen asked the Scottish Executive spokesperson for facts on when nitrate levels in his local river had exceeded regulations.

When there was no response to his question Ewen argued the restrictions are "all based on scientific theory. But what you need is the facts and you haven't provided them." The soil and geological advisers to the Scottish government at the meeting admitted that rather than paying for new research, their claims are based on limited and already existing samples of groundwater. Of these, only 21 percent recorded nitrate levels over the EU limit. This led several farmers to ask why the regulations were being imposed. Toby Willison, representing the Scottish Executive, stressed their concern was primarily to comply with the EU directive and avoid legal action.

"There will be a massive amount of paperwork if the scheme is adopted as suggested," Allan Smith, chair of the Northeast NFUS, told the Press and Journal. He estimates the regulations would add an extra 35 hours a year of work for each farmer. This comes on top of additional paperwork the government has required farmers to fill out since the foot-and-mouth outbreak.

Among the new records farmers may have to keep is the level of manure produced by their livestock in each field. The changes in farming practices focus on restricting the use of nitrate-based fertilizers and manure in the autumn and winter months. Although many farmers already do this, they anticipate extra costs from having to build slurry towers to store manure during those months.

The Scottish Executive has so far indicated there will be no capital aid to cover the extra costs farmers will face with the new regulations. The NFUS is calling for a voluntary code rather than mandatory legislation and compensation for the costs farmers incur.

A parallel development to this is also taking place in Ireland, where "Organic Waste regulations" require livestock farmers to bring in new waste facilities and restrict the use of livestock manure and slurry. These moves are part of the Irish government's response to the same EU-inspired directives.

In Silgo, a predominantly rural area, the county council adopted a motion in mid-January calling on the Irish government to drop these moves. Speaking to this motion, Sinn Fein leader Sean MacManus said the measures will have "a devastating cost effect on small farmers whose incomes have diminished, and from whom all pollution control aid has been withdrawn by the government." MacManus, reminding his audience that thousands of farmers have been forced out of business in recent years, called for grants to compensate small farmers.  
 
 
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