THE government is turning its sights on the reduction of ammonia emissions, which largely arise from livestock farming.

Mrs Margaret Beckett, secretary of state at Defra, last week said a consultation paper would be published next spring, seeking the best ways of tackling ammonia, in partnership with the agricultural industry.

Mrs Beckett was addressing the Green Alliance conference in the Royal Agricultural Hall, London, and said that, if rivers and lakes were to become cleaner, the impact of agriculture from manure, pesticides, fertilisers and soil erosion had to be studied.

While action had begun on many pollutants, the one which had so far escaped was ammonia. "As we reduce other pollutants, it is becoming the main contributor to acidification and eutrophication," she said.

Mrs Beckett said the government wanted a competitive and modern farming industry which contributed to its biodiversity strategy.

Organic farming would continue to be encouraged, with the government building on its target to triple the land area under organic production by 2006. Once the Commission on the Future of Food and Farming had reported, an organic strategy for the future would be drawn up.

The minister said further reform of the Common Agricultural Policy would be required to achieve a competitive and sustainable farming industry in the long term. All sectors would have to work constructively together to achieve that goal.

l The Soil Association welcomed Mrs Beckett's comments about the organic sector and hoped officials would meet organic representatives.

Mr Patrick Holden, director, said there was an urgent need for stewardship payments to be available to UK organic farmers to bring them in line with the rest of Europe. "The secretary of state mentions that many farmers are engaged in delivering environmental benefits - these should be rewarded through subsidies to reflect the positive impact of organic agriculture and food on the environment and public health," he said.

The association's action plan includes incentives and support for producers and payments during conversion.

It also believes the food chain link needs improving by measures such as a network of local abattoirs, and it wants support to develop organic markets.

Mr Holden welcomed the government's plan to triple the area of organic land to 9pc but said the target should be at least 30pc of land in organic production by 2010