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Catchment Sensitive Farming ‘cab cards’ - advice for farmers on the go!

13 Jun 2013 03:11 PM

A new set of handy waste-busting and environment-boosting ‘cab cards’ has been launched at the Cereals 2013 event in Lincolnshire yesterday (Thursday 13 June).

Produced by Catchment Sensitive Farming, the checklists provide an easy way to help busy famers plan farm operations to avoid waste, save money and check that they are working in a water-friendly way.  Four ‘cab cards’ have been produced that cover the important topics of fertilisers, pesticides, soils and organic manures.

The laminated cards are designed to be kept in the tractor cab as a useful source of guidance, advice and source of information for farmers on the go.  Farmers can use the cards as a reminder of what to consider when planning fertiliser, organic manure, soil or pesticide management and check what needs to be done when preparing for and undertaking field operations.

The aim of the new cards is to help farmers devise action plans that will ensure they get the best from their land, while also protecting the local environment.  For example, as fertilisers typically represent around 30% of the variable costs of crop and forage production, a quick run through the checklist on the Fertiliser card can help identify how to save money, time and reduce nutrient losses.  Producers are given pointers on how to draw up a straightforward action plan for farm operations that could help them save on their overheads and avoid damaging environmental activity.

The new CSF cab cards have been produced as a training aid in collaboration with the Training Association in East Anglia and used in farmer training.

Copies of the cards are available from the Catchment Sensitive Farming stand (7-G-712) at Cereals 2013 on Thursday 13 June or can be freely downloaded from the Natural England publications catalogue

Catchment Sensitive Farming is a joint initiative between Natural England and the Environment Agency, funded by Defra and the Rural Development Programme for England, working in priority catchments within England.

About Catchment Sensitive Farming

  • The Catchment Sensitive Farming Project is a joint project between the Environment Agency and Natural England, funded by Defra and the Rural Development Programme for England, working in priority catchments within England.

  • The project is proving successful in reducing diffuse water pollution from agriculture and is important in helping to meet the Water Framework Directive standards. Catchment Sensitive Farming was introduced by Defra in 40 priority catchments in April 2006 to raise awareness and encourage early voluntary action by farmers and land managers to tackle diffuse water pollution from agricultural sources.

  • The project is part of the national response to meet the requirements of the EU Water Framework Directive and contributes towards achieving Natura 2000 objectives.

  • Since it began seven years ago over 6,000 farmers and land managers have received around £54m in grants for capital works

For further information (media enquiries only) please contact:
David Hirst, Natural England press officer:
david.hirst@naturalengland.org.uk
Twitter: @NaturalEngland