Directive start of new order

AS farmers get to grips with what became known in recent years as the Nitrates Directive, and was finally enacted before Christmas, they will come to realise they need a lot of technical advice to stay on the right side of the law.

Even for the technical experts, it will take a good while to get through the 12,577 word text of what is now known as the European Communities (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) Regulations 2005.

Just avoiding fines and staying out of jail will be a challenge for farmers, because they could be in trouble for even misdemeanours like ploughing a grass field in November, or spreading slurry within 20m of a lake, if these regulations are enforced according to the letter of the law.