Farm Advisory Services in Lower Saxony

1. Farm Advisory Services in Lower Saxony • Workshop on • Integrating water issues in farm advisory services • Brussels 21. October 2009 Lothar Nolte

2. Where is Lower Saxony (LS)? Lothar Nolte

3. Topics • Integration of water issues in the FAS • Communication strategy • Information to the farmers • Consideration of farmers needs • Training of advisors • Advisor‘s work in the field Lothar Nolte

4. Farm advisory services in LS • Chamber of Agriculture (CoA): Self-governing technical authority • Association of irrigating farmers (business mgt. by CoA) • Registered farm consultancy associations • Other private consultancy services- Economics and production engineering- Natural resources protection / nature conservation- Sales support Lothar Nolte

5. Chamber of Agriculture • Self-governing technical authority inspecting legal compliance • Definition of Good Farming Practice • Fertiliser Ordinance (Nitrate Directive) • Plant Protection Legislation • … Authority in charge of subsidy payments and governmental aid to the agricultural sector in Lower Saxony (CC). Provides vocational training for advisors and specialised advisory services (legal commitment) Lothar Nolte

6. Association of irrigating farmers • Registered association providing technical support to farmers (800 paying members, 300.000 ha north-eastern LS) • advisory services • Operation • Planning • Liaison to administrations and scientific institutions • field trials with CoA • (max. irrigation water withdrawal 200 MCM/a, about 80 mm/a as 3-year average) Lothar Nolte

7. Registered farm consultancy associations • Established to improve farm productivity and competitiveness. • Farmer organised and self-administered • Farm-oriented, focus on economics and production engineering • 25.000 paying members in LS (fixed fees plus charge per interview) • 1-2 advisors / 100 farms (total 2007: 200 advisors in 100 associations) • Advisors have to undergo twelve-monthtraining scheme Lothar Nolte

8. Drinking water catchments as starting points Total area 4400 km² (12,5 % of the state area) Land use * Arable land 42 % Grasland 6 % Forest 52 % *without urban areas, roads and waters 6.000 farmers 300.000 ha farmland Lothar Nolte

9. Chronology of catchment advisory services • 1992 Lower Saxony Water Act Amendment, • introduction of water abstraction fees to finance water protection measures • 1993 First contracts for drinking water catchment advisors • 2001 Handbook for drinking water catchment advisors • 2007 EAFRD Co-financing (Art. 57 CR (EC) No 1698/2005 • 2010 WFD-target areas (programme of measures) Lothar Nolte

10. Integration of water issues in the FAS • Chamber of Agriculture • - legal obligation to consider environmental aspects • - remittance work for the Environment Ministry (advisory, field • trials, vocational training, workshops, information material) Registered consultancy associations - involvement (partly) in catchment advisory - pilots (improvent of application and nutrient efficiency) - field trials and project Specialised consultancies provide drinking water catchment advisory services (catchment advisors) Lothar Nolte

11. Catchmentadvisoryy services • Late 1980s first consultancies with a focus on agriculture and water resources protection (contracted by water suppliers) • Since 1993 contracting or reimbursement of costs by the Government (water abstraction fees) • Tasks: - mediation • - elaboration of concepts, plans, measures • - knowledge transfer (integration of water management aspects into the farmer’s business) • - ‘sales’ of measures • Qualification defined in funding guidelines Lothar Nolte

12. Communication strategy • Qualified catchment advisors (mediator) • Local co-operation alliances (stakeholder involvement) • Agreement on a concept (finding consensus) • Feedback on findings - individual interviews- field excursions- information letters and publications (“green journal”)- workshops / winter meetings • Conferences (farmers and water experts) Lothar Nolte

13. Training of advisors • Until 1995: Advanced training courses for graduates from „green faculties“ like agriculture, horticulture, geography etc.) • On-the-job training (introduction of provided information) • Workshops, training courses (e.g. by CoA) • Conferences (exchange of experiences, introduction of new methods Lothar Nolte

14. Handbook for catchment advisors • Provides a comprehensive overview with practical examples • Fertiliser Management:- Nutrient balancing- analytical methods to support fertiliser application- manure management • Pest Management • Field trials • Soil cultivation • Design of agri-environmental measures • Land use planning (synergies) • Modelling (N-dynamics, groundwater flow, recharge) • Monitoring & Evaluation Lothar Nolte

15. Provisions of the Rural Development Regulation • Advisory services according to Art. 24 (competitiveness, farmer‘s interest) • Environmental awareness action according to Art. 57 (natural heritage, public interest) • Should be seen as complementary approaches Lothar Nolte

16. Farm management systems • Advisory services acc. to Art. 24, CR(EC)1698/2005 to help farmers meet the statutory management requirements and the good agricultural and environmental conditions … • duration of max. 5 years • max. 80 % funding and/or 1.500 EUR • digressive funding • about 10.000 participants (2007, 2008) • >10 mio. EUR public expenditure Lothar Nolte

17. Catchment advisory services • Environmental awareness action acc. to Art. 57, CR(EC) 1698/2005 to conserve and upgrade the rural heritage. • Continuous approach (for the time being) • 100 % funding • Addressing 6.000 farmers in drinking water catchments • Actual annual public expenditure 5-6 Mio. EUR • Additional 10.000 farmers in WFD target areas (PoM) Lothar Nolte

18. Thank you very much for your attention! Lothar Nolte