Farmers in Nitrate Vulnerable Zones will be given leniency from the Scottish Government if they are still to spread slurry after the deadline of this past Sunday.

Following pressure from NFU Scotland, the Scottish Government has announced that it will look sympathetically at cases of NVZ where poor weather has stopped many farmers from spreading their slurry in time.

It was announced on Friday that decisions on leniency will be made on a case by case basis as to whether derogation will be granted to those who have missed the deadline.

NFU Scotland President Andrew McCornick has welcomed the news saying: “NFU Scotland has been very conscious that the summer and the autumn periods have been extremely challenging for members due the unexpected extent of the poor weather we experienced.

“The prospect of going into the closed period with slurry tanks nearly full is not something that our members, ourselves or, thankfully, the Scottish Government want.

“We welcome the movement from the Scottish Government following on from extensive discussions with us on the seriousness of the situation and the desperate need for derogation to a number of farmers.”

Those who have missed the deadline and believe that they deserve exemption due to the weather should contact their local RPID area office to discuss how best to proceed.

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Contact Douglas Ross on 0131 472 4006