Coordinated action by the sheep sector has achieved a major breakthrough in the fight against "indefensible" sheep dip disposal fees.
Work by the sheep industry in response to an increased rise in dip disposal licence fees in England has resulted in a breakthrough for mobile dipping contractors.
The Environment Agency announced higher fees for applying for and renewing sheep dip disposal licence early in 2018, despite strong assertions from the sheep sector that increases of up to 590% were "unjustifiable" and "highly damaging".
Plunge dipping of sheep is an essential tool in the fight against sheep parasites, and anything blocking the affordable treatment of such pests could potentially impact animal welfare, the sheep industry says.
A series of correspondence and meetings with Defra and the Environment Agency, as well as conversations with the Chartered Institution of Waste Management (CIWM), has resulted in the agency exempting contractors from the new fees to store dip.
While seen as an important concession, it still leaves the sheep sector with much to do to ensure farmers dipping sheep themselves can do so without having to pay the fees.
'Unilateral decision'
Phil Stocker, National Sheep Association (NSA) Chief Executive said the industry has gone to "great lengths" to increase understanding within the Environment Agency about what makes the industry "tick".
“We cannot have a unilateral decision made to increase licence fees at the same time as other parts of the Government are working with farming organisations to urge farmers to increase use of dip and mobile dipping contractors to tackle sheep scab, a parasite that affects animal welfare and production,” Mr Stocker said.
The Sustainable Control of Parasites in Sheep (SCOPS), a group campaigning on sheep scab and promoting mobile dippers as a way for farmers to have their sheep treated using modern equipment that offers operator safety and sheep welfare, said the move by the Environment Agency is a "big achievement".
Lesley Stubbing, of SCOPS said: “There are some straightforward provisos that will need to be complied with but contract dippers can now bring spent dip back to their operating sites and store it until collection for licensed treatment or disposal.”
Conditions
The agreement reached between the Environment Agency and sheep stakeholder groups is specifically for contract operators temporarily storing spent sheep dip at a place controlled by the producer of the waste, pending collection or disposal.
It comes with certain conditions, which includes that the dip has been diluted for use in accordance with the manufacturers’ instructions at the place of use and is below hazardous waste threshold, and that the total quantity of waste dip stored at any one time does not exceed 20 cubic metres (20,000 litres).
Conditions also state that the waste dip must be stored in a bunded area with an impermeable base able to retain 110% of the largest container or 25% of the total volume that could be stored, whichever is the greater, and that no waste dip is stored for longer than three months.
Tom Dracup, NFU Livestock Adviser called the move an "important step" for mobile dippers. However, he said there's more to do on general dip disposal fees.
Mr Dracup said: “We have secured assurance from the Environment Agency that it will review these requirements – and so, as a group, will be writing to Ministers to request a moratorium on charges until this review is complete.
“We are also continuing to work with Defra on a long-standing proposal to increase efforts to tackle and ultimately eradicate sheep scab.”
