Mr. Jack Nolan:

Yes. I should have added that we introduced the compulsory use of clover if a farmer is reseeding grassland. When clover is used, a farmer can reduce the amount of chemical nitrogen used by up to 100 kg per hectare. That measure should also have an impact. The drought of 2018 showed up in water quality test results of 2019. Depending on the soil type, it can have a quick effect and might be noticeable in the next couple of years. We need, however, to get a high level of uptake of these measures. We have a good package of measures that stand up to those across Europe in comparison but they need to be taken on board by farmers as standard practice, rather than being driven by regulation. Mr. Flynn raised the issue of industry earlier. We need the industry to drive change. In Holland, farmers get an extra payment for a litre of milk if they have more than the standard biodiversity on their farm. They receive a cheaper loan from Rabobank if they have more than the standard biodiversity. One of the co-ops in the south west has extra payment for having an animal health plan and milk recording in place. It would be great to see industry taking the lead and pushing on by bringing people with it. As well as regulations, the Common Agricultural Policy is also an incentive. However, the money coming to farmers should be dictated by the quality of the product they produce. At present, there is no differentiation made between farmers who do their utmost and those who do not play their part.