Livestock farmers warned to check woodchip bedding

Livestock farmers in Wales using bedding with woodchip are warned to ensure bedding materials have not been sourced from treated and potentially hazardous substances.

The Gwent branch of the Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) has called on farmers to source safe bedding or face the cost of disposing of it in landfill at their own expense.

Farmers are also advised to have a U8 waste exception registered with Natural Resources Wales (NRW).

This comes after tighter straw supplies following a wet and challenging cereal harvest.

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Several livestock markets in south-west Wales have offered woodchip as animal bedding, said the FUW.

FUW Gwent county executive officer Glyn Davies said: “Farmers who use this type of animal bedding need to check where their product has come from by asking the supplier if the woodchip has been produced from previously treated waste wood.

“NRW has stated that if this product is found to be illegal, farmers who have had deliveries will need to dispose of it to landfill at their own expense. So please check the source of any woodchip used as animal bedding.”