Sewage sludge is not cheap fertiliser

12 March 1998

Sewage sludge is not cheap fertiliser

FARMERS have been urged not to accept industrial sewage sludge as cheap fertiliser without assessing the far-reaching consequences, warns the Scottish National Farmers Unions legal and commercial committee.

Ian MacKintosh, of Kirkton of Kingdolgrum, Kirriemuir, a member of the SNFUs legal and commercial committee, said he was worried about the impact sewage sludge would have on farm assurance schemes in years to come.

He said the problem was more severe in the west of Scotland but a lot of
sludge was being applied to land in Angus, too.

Ewan Pate, of South Powrie, Dundee, said people would be “crazy” to put
sewage sludge on soft fruit or potato fields.

• The Scotsman 12/03/98 page 30