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Environment Agency Regulatory Position Statement 252 on spreading organic manure on agricultural land

On 3 August 2021 the Environment Agency (“EA”) issued Regulatory Position Statement 252 (“RPS”) on the spreading of organic manure on agricultural land. You can read this here.

The RPS relates to Regulation 4(1)(a) of the Reduction and Prevention of Agricultural Diffuse Pollution (England) Regulations 2018 (“Regulations”) (more often referred to as Rule 1 of the Farming Rules for Water (“FRfW”)), and the EA’s evolving approach to that rule that would prevent the application of organic manures to most crops during the months of August to January.

The EA has recognised that significant quantities of organic manure are applied to arable stubbles primarily in the autumn prior to drilling winter cereals. The RPS is intended to give land managers and those who supply them with unavoidably produced organic manures more time to modernise their manure management practices. This is especially relevant to manure and slurry produced by livestock farmers and biosolids produced by the water industry. The RPS is designed to enable current practice to continue in most situations and alleviate the immediate concerns of those managing large quantities of organic material.

If you follow the conditions of this RPS you are permitted to have a plan to apply organic manure to agricultural land that may exceed the needs of the soil or crop on that land. You must inform the EA if you are using this RPS, or if you cannot comply with the RPS and risk breaching the farming rules for water. The EA have also produced a document outlining some frequently asked questions relating to the Farming Rules for Water (FRfW), which includes questions relating to the RPS. You can read this here 

We have been in contact with the EA and have agreed a way forward for this autumn. For any customers who have received materials from us or are in the future, and are planning to spread the materials within this autumn period (up to the 1st March 2022), please contact the Agriculture Services Advisor who took your order or email AgricultureServices@uuplc.co.uk if you want more information. We are also active in the national discussions being led by Water UK, the National Farmers’ Union and consultants with the EA and Defra, and it is these discussions that we understand will provide the clarity on organic manure management after this autumn.

Please note this communication should not be taken as advice or guidance in terms of compliance with the RPS. It is recommended that if any advice or guidance is required that individuals and organisations take specific advice from specialist advisors and/or contact enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk.