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Government
plans to implement a new law from Brussels
on the disposal of animal carcasses, are due to come
into force on 30 April.
Under
the proposals, farmers will be banned from burying dead cattle, sheep and
pigs on their land, as has always been normal practice, and instead will
be forced to
pick up the costs by paying up to £50
per pig, cow or sheep to have them collected and incinerated.
The
East of England has the largest percentage of pig and poultry farmers in
the country, yet no incinerators have been set up in the area to cope with
the thousands of carcasses that will have to be disposed of each year.
In
other European Union member states, government-funded collection schemes
are in operation, but the British Government has so far refused to pay for
its introduction here. With only three weeks left before the ban is
introduced, I think it is highly unlikely that special collection vehicles
will be available to pick up odd carcasses from rural areas. As these
carcasses are likely to remain unburied for weeks, this could cause
considerable health risks.
This
is yet another example of our own Labour Government signing up to EU
legislation without giving proper thought to its implementation. The NFU
approached the Government over 18 months ago, but no plan has since been
drawn up. We now face the prospect of another fridge mountain fiasco -
although this time it could be much more unpleasant!
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