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NFU responds to key river basin planning consultation

08 October 2020

»Ê¼Ò»ªÈËhas submitted a comprehensive and robust response to the latest Environment Agency consultation on the third iteration of River Basin Management Plans, which are due to be in place from 2021 to 2027.

River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs) set out how organisations, stakeholders and communities will work together to improve the water environment. There is a RBMP for each river basin district in England – seven in total – and you can .

This consultation – the second of three – looked at the many challenges that face the water environment in England and asked for feedback on how they could best be addressed. Many of these challenges, such as climate change, population growth and flooding, also affect farmers and the NFU made this clear in its response.

Alongside pollution from water companies and urban areas, the consultation also considered pollution from agriculture and rural areas and how it could be tackled. In our response, we made it clear that farmers have made significant progress on pollution over recent decades but, in common with other sources, further progress is required.

Putting the right policy mechanisms in place, focusing on advice and incentives, will be key to helping farmers make further progress on pollution into the future. For instance, agri-environment schemes, both the existing Countryside Stewardship scheme and the planned Environmental Land Management scheme, can enable farmers to care for the water environment while also increasing productivity on farm. An expansion of the project and further support for industry-led initiatives, such as , would also make a big difference.

NFU members: to download the NFU's consultation response

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»Ê¼Ò»ªÈËrepresents 55,000 farming and growing businesses in England and Wales. And there is strength in those numbers. With the UK set to leave the European Union, no other membership organisation is better placed to deliver the best possible outcome for farmers and growers.

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