Soil Association says burial ban on stock is unjustified

New regulations governing the disposal of fallen stock are scientifically unjustified, according to the Soil Association, which is calling for burial to remain an option for all farmers.

Anna Bassett, a Soil Association technical officer said, "The recent ban on burial of fallen stock should be lifted. If on-farm burial is undertaken with due respect to environmental guidelines in most situations it will be the best and safest option – without the costly management. The decomposition of buried stock is also part of the natural cycle, turning the carcase into an asset by feeding the biodiversity of the ecosystem. There is little sense in legislation that denies this option."

Farmers living in remote areas, or who have very small numbers of stock, will find it particularly difficult to have stock collected. The new collection scheme also introduces the risk of diseased carcases spreading infection from farm to farm. If there is a breakdown in the carcase collection system, the risk of disease or environmental pollution also increases.

Anna Bassett said, "Having learned to take biosecurity very seriously as a method of disease reduction and control, many farmers will be rightly concerned over these new procedures."

The national fallen stock collection scheme is due to start on 1 January 2004. At present, farmers are required to organise disposal themselves.