NSA dismayed at Natural Resources Wales dip disposal charge increase
3rd July 2023
NSA has expressed its dismay at the news of the Welsh Government’s decision to hike sheep dip disposal fees. The increase in charges will came into effect on Saturday 1st July 2023. The decision is one that NSA believes could compromise animal welfare. NSA Cymru/Wales Development Officer Helen Roberts says: “It is troubling that following the launch of the All-Wales Sheep Scab Eradication Programme, Natural Resources Wales (NRW) is putting the viability of the scheme and health and welfare of the nation’s flock at risk. Affecting more than two thousand farms and 30 per cent of sheep in Wales each year, Sheep Scab creates itching in sheep, as well as wool and weight loss, and in some cases mortality, making it a major welfare concern for sheep keepers throughout the country. It is therefore even more disappointing that at a time when farming is facing such volatility, Welsh Government is increasing the cost burden once the three-year scheme is completed. NSA is especially concerned that the increased cost of disposing of spent or unused sheep dip (via land spreading) from £402 to £3,728 will force people toward less effective injectables but will also put Welsh producers at a direct disadvantage to other producers who do not experience the same costs.”
The All-Wales Sheep Scab Eradication Programme – announced barely six months ago - developed by the farming industry, in partnership with the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) and Coleg Sir Gar, and funded by the Welsh Government Rural Investment Schemes, set out with the goal of eradicating Sheep Scab in farms across the country.
Annual subsistence increases across eight regulatory regimes, which primarily cover the fees for compliance monitoring, had previously been approved by the Minister and implemented on 1st April 2023.
