Farm union's 'shock' at sheep dip disposal ban

Welsh farmers are to be banned from disposing of waste sheep dip on their land, over concerns the liquid chemical treatment is polluting rivers.

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) said it had measured increased levels of diazinon - a chemical which is highly toxic to aquatic life - accumulating in rivers.

It intends to phase out the decades-old practice of allowing farms to spread diluted waste dip to land, and will stop issuing new permits.

But farming union NFU Cymru said it was "shocked" and "extremely disappointed" by the decision, calling for it to be overturned.

Sheep dip is a chemical solution used to treat sheep for parasites and skin conditions.

While sheep dipping is "important to safeguard livestock", NRW said changes were needed to dispose of the leftover liquid.

Permits allowing farmers to spread it on their land will no longer be issued.

Farms will now be required to employ a registered waste carrier to dispose of their waste dip "in a suitable waste facility", NRW said.

Those with an active permit will be allowed to carry on spreading on land "for the time being", although "eventually all waste dip will need to be disposed of this way", the regulator added.

Simon Evans, chief executive officer of the Wye and Usk Foundation, said diazinon was "a very dangerous chemical for the environment" which had proven effects on fish such as salmon and trout.

"We're finding it in the Usk at levels of concern in autumn, which is when the fish are trying to spawn," he said.

"The only real use for it anymore is for sheep dips and that means the current disposal system is not working."

"We support NRW's position because something has to be done," he added.

But NFU Cymru livestock board chairman Rob Lewis said the union was "shocked that NRW has taken this decision with immediate effect", pointing out that "new applications for permits are still available elsewhere in the UK".

"The practice of sheep dipping in Wales is integral to maintain the high flock health status of the Welsh flock," he added.

"The decision has implications for animal health and welfare, the ongoing management of key habitats and disadvantages young farmers and new entrants to the sheep sector."

"We have written to NRW today and called for the decision to be reversed."

The union's rural affairs board chairman Hedd Pugh said Wales was "nowhere near getting a workable spent dip disposal scheme" up and running.

"There are issues around actual collection and storage but more importantly, the end point and the uneconomic cost of incineration of spent dip," he said.

Gail Davies-Walsh, chief executive of Afonydd Cymru said rivers trusts had been "expressing concerns about the disposal of diazinon to land for some time" so the announcement was "good news".

"It is worth noting that there are currently no disposal facilities for the chemical in Wales, so farmers will need better support to deal with it," she added.

Nadia De Longhi of NRW said it was "constantly working to balance the needs of working farms with our duties to safeguard the environment".

"Disposing of sheep dip to land has been done for more than 30 years but we've noticed a negative effect accumulating in our rivers that is causing us to fail to meet the standards required to protect the water environment," she said.

"This is why we've decided to phase out the practice as there are now better alternatives available."

NRW is encouraging farmers to surrender permits they no longer need, and has removed a £363 charge for doing so.