Poultry farmers in England to report nitrogen and phosphorus excretion levels

Reporting to the Environment Agency has been taking place in the Wye catchment area, which has been significantly affected pollution caused by run-off, but from next will cover all permitted farms across England. These requirements specify permissible levels of nitrogen and phosphorus excreted per animal place and all permitted farms must comply with these levels.

Farmers are being urged to look at the Best Available Techniques conclusion document, produced by the European Commission in 2017, which sets out new requirements to monitor and report emissions from permitted farms for comparison with the BAT-asociated levels.

The following farm types must comply with the BAT requirements:

• Poultry farms with more than 40,000 rearing places
• All permitted pig farms 

However, nitrogen and phosphorus reporting is not required for pullets, breeders and quails and phosphorus reporting is not required for ducks.

Farmers can report levels using one of the following methods:

• Mass balance tools: The Environment Agency has developed new mass balance tools that simplify the calculation of excretion levels in different poultry production systems.
• Slurry/manure sampling results: Alternatively, farmers can report excretion levels based on slurry or manure handling data.

New mass balance calculator tools have been produced by the Environment Agency and industry trade bodies to help farmers with their reporting, with information and support provided on the Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board website. 

The reporting window is due to run until 28 February with retrospective reporting required for the 2024 calendar year.

The National Farmers’ Union, which has been involved in the design process, has acknowledged the necessity of adapting to evolving environmental standards and regulations, but stressed they must be proportionate and that any administrative burden is kept to a minimum.

More accurate reporting to the Environment Agency, it said, can help demonstrate the high environmental standards achieved by producers, helping enhance the reputation of the poultry sector.