New proposals for addressing water pollution from agriculture could lead to fewer inspections for farmers who participate in a forthcoming program. The draft Nutrient Action Programme (NAP) for 2027-2030 is now open for public consultation.
The previous version of the draft NAP faced criticism from farmers who found it disconnected from daily agricultural practices, leading to calls for its withdrawal. In response, a task-and-finish group comprising over 70 farmers, scientists, environmentalists, agri-food representatives, and policymakers was assembled. This group, which met more than 60 times over nine months, reviewed feedback from the initial consultation and developed the revised document.
John McLenaghan, president of the Ulster Farmers' Union, was part of the review process. He stated that the new document is significantly different from its predecessor. "It wasn't straightforward. It wasn't simple - these are complex issues," McLenaghan said. "But central to it all the way through was this idea of introducing measures which would be practical at a farm level, workable at a farm level, would still maintain productivity and provide that opportunity for productivity growth sustainably, and at the same time show environmental improvement, particularly in terms of water quality, which the NAP primarily looks at."
Karen Brosnan, the management consultant who chaired the task-and-finish group, described the co-design approach as initially "nerve-wracking." However, she noted that participants were committed to the process. "So people chose to engage respectfully and to stay at the conversation until solutions were agreed. It's a way of working that works," Brosnan added.
The NAP is intended to be reviewed every four years, and the current revision is overdue. The program primarily focuses on improving water quality by addressing nutrient runoff from farms. The updated draft aims to balance environmental protection with the operational and economic realities faced by farmers, ensuring that measures are both effective and practical for farm-level implementation.