Ythan Project - Farmers Views
The Ythan Project is a partnership approach drawing together several organisations to improve the Ythan
river catchment. The project does not seek to attribute blame to any particular group of people, instead it
aims to assist the local people to protect and enhance the river. As so much of the catchment is in agricultural
use, the project aims to work with farmers on a number of actions. The project is part funded by a European
program called Life Environment and at the end of the project we will have to report back to Europe on how
the project has progressed. In order to be able to tell if what we are doing has had a real benefit for local
people, we will be undertaking three surveys during the life of the project, one at the beginning, middle and
end. The first of these surveys was undertaken in March 2002 and involved sending questionnaires to a
random sample of farmers. The responses we received have been collated and some of the results are shown
below:
All Farm T ypes: Previous Awareness
All Farm Types: Support Rate
100
50
80
70
Percentage
60
Heard of Project
50
40
30
20
10
0
Ye s
No
The results from the survey will be used to
enable us to target project actions more
effectively and will also give us a baseline
knowledge which we can compare against in
the future.
P e r c e n ta g e
90
40
30
GoodIdea
20
10
0
Yes
No
YTHAN PROJECT SURVEY
The Ythan Project You may not be aware that the Formartine Partnership, in association with
other organisations, has secured European funding for 3½ years, to assist the communities within
the Ythan catchment to develop a “whole river/whole community approach” to river management.
Both non-farming and farming communities have roles to play in this, but farmers are particularly
important. One of the key objectives of the Ythan Project is to ensure that farmers are aware of
related opportunities for funding through SEERAD agri-environment schemes like the Rural
Stewardship Scheme, and also how they can best adapt to the requirements of the Ythan being a
designated Nitrate Vulnerable Zone (NVZ).
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
ApplicationtoRSS
The Survey We would be very grateful if you could take a few minutes to answer the following
questions. The information will be used to help us target our efforts more effectively.
Questions
YES
1.
Does some of your farm lie within the Ythan river catchment?
2.
Can you please indicate whether your farm is predominantly:
NO
UNSURE
All Farm Types: Aware Extra RSS Points
Available Through Ythan Project
P e rc e n ta g e
P e rc e n ta g e
All Farm Types: Application to RSS
100
80
60
40
20
0
Yes
livestock
Arable Farms
100
3.
Had you heard of the Ythan Project before receiving this letter?
4.
Do you think that a whole river/whole community approach like this
is a good idea?
5.
Would you consider involving volunteers in helping with habitat or
river restoration projects on your land?
6.
Are you considering, or have you already submitted, an application
to the Rural Stewardship Scheme (RSS)?
Arable Farms
7.
Were you aware that it is possible to gain extra points for your RSS
application by linking it to the Ythan Project?
Interest in Nutrient Budgeting Training
8.
Would this influence your decision to apply to the RSS?
100
80
The Ythan NVZ Action Plan will require farmers to do nutrient budgets and keep records of fertilizer
purchases and applications.
70
60
9.
Nutrient Budgeting
40
Have you had any experience of doing nutrient budgetting?
10. Do you currently keep records of fertiliser applications?
30
11. Would you be interested in the capital grants towards provision of
storage for livestock manures that will form part of the NVZ Action
20
P e rc e n ta g e
90
Percentage
No
Aware?
mixed
Use Nutrient Budgeting
50
Aware of Extra
Points
arable
Yes
No
Applied to or Considering Applying to
RSS
Unsure
Project a Good Idea?
Heard of Ythan Project?
80
60
Training
40
20
10
0
Yes
No
The Ythan Project team plan to hold sessions where farmers can get practical help with nutrient
budgetting and record keeping systems. These are predominantly computer-based.
UnAnswered
Use of Nutrient Budgeting?
0
Yes
12. Would you be interested in attending a training meeting on nutrient
budgetting?
No
Unsure
Interested in Training?
13. Do you currently, or plan to in the near future, use a computer for
your record keeping?
Thank you for your assistance.
Live Stock Farms
Yours Sincerely,
Use of Nutrient Budgeting
70
100
60
P e rc e n ta g e
Live Stock Farms
Interest in Nutrient Budgeting Training
Tamsin Morrice.
80
50
60
40
Nutrientbudgeting
30
Training
40
20
20
0
10
Yes
0
Yes
No
No
Unsure
Interested in Training?
UnAnswered
Use of Nutrient Budgeting?
Mixed Farms
Mixed Farms
Interest in Nutrient Budgeting Training
Use of Nutrient Budgeting
100
80
100
80
60
60
40
Nutrientbudgeting
20
Training
40
20
0
0
Yes
No
Use of Nutrient Budgeting?
UnAnswered
Yes
No
Interested in Training?
For further information contact:
Tamsin Morris - Ythan Project C/o Formartine Area Office, Schoolhill Road, Ellon. AB41 9AN
Unsure