A new report has backed farmers' calls for better reporting and recording of waste crime incidents, as well as the need for effective punishments that deter criminals.
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has published its report on tackling waste crime in the countryside, supporting a number of the NFU's asks on fly-tipping.
The union had highlighted that official government data did not capture the true scale and impact of waste crime on farmland.
Concerns were also raised over the lack of planning around government initiatives to improve data on capturing the scale of the crime.
In June, the NFU provided a written response to the PAC's inquiry on actions needed to combat waste crime, asking for consistency across the whole country.
The PAC, in its new report, outlined how Defra and the Environment Agency need to find a solution to data weaknesses and ensure waste crime initiatives are successfully delivered.
The report also recommends that relevant agencies work together to improve law enforcement, including consideration of stronger sentencing guidelines.
Responding, NFU vice president David Exwood said the union was 'pleased' that the PAC had listened carefully to its evidence, particularly around the scale and impact of fly-tipping.
He added that farmers and landowners were "very often the victims of waste crime".
"[It] is not only costly and time-consuming to remove, but can prove dangerous to human health, wildlife and livestock and in some cases pollute watercourses and contaminate land.
“It continues to take a huge toll financially on farming businesses and impacts on emotional and mental health and affects farmers’ ability to produce food and care for the environment."
The report supports the union's calls for better reporting and recording of the range of waste crime incidents, and the need for effective punishments.
The committee also highlights another of the NFU's key asks, that improving user experience and willingness to report waste crime requires fundamental change.
The report explains that a single reporting mechanism is needed to reduce frustration and confusion.
Defra and the Environment Agency must now make tackling waste crime a priority issue going forward, Mr Exwood said.
“The NFU urges the government and its agencies to recognise the serious impacts waste crime is having on farm businesses and the wider rural community."
