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Silage pollution plea to farmers

From the Lancashire Evening Telegraph, first published Friday 28th May 1999.

FARMERS are being urged to help prevent pollution by taking special care when making silage in the coming weeks.

The Environment Agency says silage effluent can be 200 times more polluting than untreated sewage. Very small amounts can devastate stream life and cause major problems for water users.

John Pinder, the agency's North West Rural Land Use Group representative, said: "Recent periods of heavy rain have encouraged the rapid growth of lush grass just before harvesting, which may result in farmers having more silage effluent to deal with than usual.

"Farmers have made a tremendous effort in recent years to reduce pollution from silage effluent. Adopting better practices, taking greater care and improving their silage clamps and reception pits have resulted in a reduction of silage effluent related pollution incidents - a trend we hope will continue."

Farmers are asked to avoid silage-making when wet weather is forecast, to wilt grass as much as possible, ensure silos and effluent collection systems are in good condition and check drains and ditches daily for signs of effluent

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.

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