New show feature on farming & water – look for the blue tent!

Farmers and land managers are being welcomed to a new show attraction this year.

With special attention being paid to the rules surrounding water pollution a smart blue marquee will be the place to catch up on the latest information and tips about Farming & Water in Scotland.

Funded by Scottish Government and staffed by specialists from Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) and SEPA (the Scottish Environment Protection Agency) the new venue is offering information and guidance on how to avoid falling foul of increasingly strict regulation.

“You can’t produce crops or livestock without water, but if care isn’t taken farming activity can cause pollution, so it’s in everyone’s best interests to know how to avoid it,” explains Senior SAC Consultant Rebecca Audsley. “On the new show stand we have information on the regulations (General Binding Rules) governing pollution, its avoidance and tips on smart technologies that help supply cattle drinking water.”

While the occasional accidental spillage of slurry, oil or silage effluent into a watercourse can be serious, by far the most common problem is Diffuse Pollution where, for example, heavy rain washes muck from the fields into drainage ditches or pesticide sprays drift into burns. On the blue Farming and Water Scotland stand there is advice on practical management techniques to avoid these problems.

More information can be found at  www.farmingandwaterscotland.org, (or follow the initiative on Facebook andTwitter).