APPENDIX 5
Memorandum submitted by Mr B P Lugg (B
5)
I urge you in the strongest possible terms to
get OP sheep dip back on the market for us to use as soon as possible.
The welfare issue is a very grave one, sheep
will be at risk if we do not have this tried and tested product.
It is also cost effective.
We should not be made to rely solely on the
new Synthetic Pyrethroid types, quite simply they are more expensive
and not as good.
No doubt you all have in the back of your minds
the question of whether people have become ill as a result of
using this chemical.
May I take this opportunity to test an opinion
of mine on you.
When this Ministry of Agriculture's Sheep Scab
dipping campaign was operating, not only did we have to dip all
the sheep on the farm, which were perfectly healthy, we also had
to dip any sheep which went to a live market in the previous 21
days. Often it was only done the day before market.
As a consequence, large numbers of farmers,
dealers, drovers, lorry drivers etc, were constantly handling
freshly dipped sheep.
It is my belief that if people contracted OP
poisoning they did it at markets where little or no protective
clothing was worn rather than on farms during the dipping procedure
when protective clothing was always used.
MAFF's Sheep Scab campaign was in my opinion
ill-conceived and you must not let this cloud your judgement in
this matter.
Sheep farmers biggest problem is prevention
of Blowfly Strike, which OP's do very effectively. Untreated sheep
simply seek shade of trees and hedges in hot weather, then they
stop thriving and gradually get eaten alive by maggots. (blowfly
larvae).
However, once treated they continue to grow
well and spend all day grazing out in the field even in hot weather
because they are not being attacked by flies.
Please do everything in your power to get this
product back on the market.
New containers which are easy to pour would
be welcome, but above all we need it back on the shelves by the
end of May at the latest.
16 March 2000
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