Farmers and water industry in tussle over nitrate zones

The National Farmers' Union (NFU) has attacked the Government's plans to establish Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs) to protect water supplies from nitrate leaching, claiming that farmers will be bankrupted by being forced to pay for manure disposal or reduce livestock numbers. But the water industry has taken the opposite tack, urging a more precautionary approach to curbing nitrate leaching.