The UK’s Clean Air Strategy highlights that agriculture is responsible for 88% of UK emissions of ammonia gas, which ‘over-fertilises’ natural habitats with nitrogen and combines with other pollutants to produce fine Particulate Matter pollution which is harmful to human health.
Ammonia emissions in agriculture can be released at different stages of the manure management cycle, and practices to reduce them include using slurry spreading equipment such as a trailing shoe or covering manure/slurry stores.
Information on the level of uptake and challenges to farmers is lacking and the focus groups will be used to understand this more.
The focus group will bring together farmers and producers from a range of farm size and expertise to provide feedback on the practicalities, benefits, costs and barriers to implementing ammonia mitigation practices what could be done to overcome these. You do not need any specialist knowledge, all information you can share on your own experience will be valued, it will be a really interactive session.
Please follow the relevant link to register your interest (places are limited to 10):
- Mixed sector focus group, Wednesday 19th April, 12 noon – 2pm
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEtcOuqrDIvHtVRFbKYrAzO5a_vvTOGfSLB
- Pig sector focus group, Wednesday 26th April, 12 noon – 2pm
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZApcu2ppjwpG9YOrYmxhb2rEjywbm7TkZf2
- Poultry sector focus group, Wednesday 3rd May 12 noon – 2pm
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcvcemsqj0jGNbk-mDOcmU9UpeM7LTWww1q
The findings from the focus groups will be used to support wider research Ricardo is doing as part of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), Public Health Research (PHR) programme. The programmes focusses on the environmental and health impacts from ammonia in agriculture, with a particular interest in dairy, pigs and poultry sectors.
All comments made during the focus group will be recorded anonymously.
If you have any questions, please email Aim-Health@ricardo.com
If you are unable to attend a focus group, but would like to share your views on ammonia, please complete this quick 5 minute survey. There is an opportunity to enter into a prize draw to win a £50 Amazon voucher for completing the survey (the T&C’s are provided in the survey).