Support on offer to help cut ammonia emissions

Farmers in England are being offered support to help them reduce ammonia gas emissions, Defra has announced.

The measures set out in the UK Government’s Clean Air Strategy revealed today are predicted to help cut the costs of air pollution to society by £1.7 billion every year by 2020, rising to £5.3bn every year from 2030.

Under the new strategy, the government will provide farmers with support to invest in infrastructure and equipment to reduce emissions and will work with industry to encourage low-emission, holistic farming techniques.

Funding will help farmers purchase manure management equipment including low-emission spreaders, and the scheme is due to run again in 2019.

Money will also be available for slurry tank and lagoon covers for farmers in priority water catchments.

Farming minister George Eustice said: “Ammonia emissions can have a significant impact on the environment and on our health and, as custodians of the land, farmers have an important role to play in reducing them.

“Our future agriculture policy will involve financial rewards and incentives to help farmers reduce their ammonia emissions.”

Agriculture is held responsible for 88% of UK emissions of ammonia gas.

In September 2018, the government launched a £3 million programme through the Catchment Sensitive Farming partnership to fund a team of specialists who work with the farming industry in priority areas to provide training events, tailored advice, individual farm visits and support with grant applications.