Two special meetings for farmers and advisers in South Cumbria and North Lancashire will be held on Tuesday 6 November at the Westmorland County Agricultural Showground Lane Farm, Crooklands.

The half day meetings, one commencing at 10.15 with the programme being repeated at 1.30pm will discuss the government's new Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZ) proposals.

They have been organised by North West Auctions in association with ADAS the event is part of the Defra-funded Environment Sensitive Farming programme.

The proposals for the revision of NVZs and the associated Action Programme measures were released on 21 August and the industry has until 13 December to comment. One of the proposals is that for the first time South Cumbria and North Lancashire will be classified as in a NVZ.

The event will however be of interest to all farmers and advisers looking to improve their nutrient management and manure handling and storage systems. It will provide an opportunity to plan fertiliser use and manure management for this and future seasons.

Topics to be covered will include: the proposed changes to the NVZ requirements relevant to fertiliser and manure management; assessing what nutrients are needed by crops; the nutrients supplied by applied manures and the soil itself; storage and handling of manures; cover crops and the nutrient and manure planning software PLANET and MANNER.

For more information or to reserve your place contact Rodney Coward, North West Auctions Farm Advisory Services Manager email: rodney@nwauctions.co.uk or Tel: 07717 548 966.