The NFU has organised two major meetings on Friday, February 15, for farmers to find more out about new legislation regarding nitrates which could cost them thousands of pounds.

The first is at 11am in Scotch Corner Hotel, Scotch Corner, and the second is

at 3.30pm in the NFU regional office, Tadcaster Road, York. All NFU members are welcome to come to the meetings at which Michael Payne, NFU environmental consultant, will be speaking.

The Government legislation could mean that 80-100pc of land in England is designated as "Nitrate Vulnerable", a huge increase from the current 8pc of land.

The Government is carrying out a consultation on the proposals and has sent

a questionnaire to all farmers in England.

The NFU continues to question the scientific evidence confirming the need for the European directive, particularly that the current level of 50 parts per million of nitrate in drinking water presents any health hazard.

It is also seriously concerned that the consultation is too restrictive in its options because it asks farmers only to choose whether they believe 80pc or 100pc of the country should be designated as NVZ.

NFU vice-president Michael Paske said: "Farmers need to know all the costs and problems associated with these proposals. We are concerned that the Government has not given farmers all the relevant information they need to consider to give a balanced reply to the

questionnaire.

"The NFU will be preparing advice for all members which will be available later in the month. I urge farmers not to return their questionnaires until they have seen this advice."

The UK Government is required to extend its NVZ designations to cover not just water courses and ground water used for drinking water but all waters affected by nitrates, after a decision made by the European Court of Justice in 2000.

Farmers would need up to 50pc more land to spread the same amount of manure which may mean spreading it on a neighbour's land, with added costs

The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) is protesting the plans to extend restrictions on muck and the use of fertiliser.

According to the CLA, the plan could cost livestock farmers several thousand pounds each, although scientific justification for the EU's nitrate directive, extending Nitrate Vulnerable Zones to 80pc of the English countryside, is questionable.

The CLA is pressing the Government to either provide funds for farmers who need to build new storage facilities or to extend the implementation date until next summer, so farmers have time to incorporate the additional costs into their financial plans.

Updated: 09:13 Thursday, January 31, 2002