‘Government plans to tackle nitrate water contamination just don’t stack,’ up says Nick Harvey, MP for North Devon.  ‘The Nitrate Vulnerable Zone consultation sees Defra proposing to cut the use of manure nitrogen by a third across 70% of our farm land.

‘Ultimately these plans seem environmental madness and will cause financial harm to our dairy farmers. I am backing NFU calls for the government to see sense.

‘As one local farmer, during a meeting with me and NFU reps, so bluntly put it “who’s going to pay for shipping the shit?”’

‘Farmers rely on natural sources of nitrates and in many cases the issue of contamination is not proven, so to insist that farmers have to store increasing quantities of slurry and/or pay to have it shipped elsewhere does not make any economical or scientific sense.

‘I am currently lobbying Secretary of State Hilary Benn, on behalf of local farmers, the NFU’s ‘Kicking up a Stink’ campaign and Dairy UK Ltd.’