Kintyre and Bute farmers face having to shell out thousands of pounds to comply with new slurry storage requirements.

The new rules require farmers to have the capacity to store five months of slurry on farm – a stipulation which could see some farms spending hundreds of thousands of pounds to upgrade for compliance.

NFU Scotland’s regional chair for Argyll & the Islands, Duncan Macalister of Glenbarr Farms, said: “Many of the members have been in contact with me to discuss their concerns particularly around the significant financial implications that they may face to comply with the change in legislation. That has implications for the milk field in Kintyre and Bute as well as all those in the region with beef cattle.

Read more: New slurry rules pile costs onto livestock farms

“As a result of our repeated calls of concern over the impact of the regulations on farming businesses, NFUS is involved in dialogue and engagement with SEPA to find practical solutions. Further engagement with SEPA will take place in the coming months, and we expect that to include farmers in the Kintyre region.

“In the meantime, we will continue to push the Scottish Government for much needed financial support to help farmers comply with the regulations and deliver environmental outcomes while maintaining the viability of their businesses.”