Keep silage clamps in good order

That is the advice of a Shropshire insurance expert and agriculture specialist who said that too many farmers took the good condition of their clamps and effluent collection facilities for granted.

Rob Matthews, of national insurance brokers Lycetts, said almost all of the cases he had heard of relating to farmers damaging the local environment in this way were unwitting and through negligence.

“It could be an extremely expensive, stressful and time-consuming mistake to make,” said Mr Matthews, who heads the Shrewsbury office of Lycetts.

“Farmers have already got their first cut in and under wraps and many are already in the process of adding their second, so it’s vital that it’s stored in well maintained open-sided containers, or clamps as they are known.

“Silage effluent is extraordinary toxic - some 200 times more so than untreated domestic sewage - so the damage it can cause to watercourse eco-systems is profound.

“Once the effluent is in the watercourse, it is very difficult to localise it and it can find its way into springs, wells and boreholes and other public water supplies.

“Farmers must therefore make every effort to ensure their clamps are well maintained, and that includes all pipes and tanks as well.”

He added that farmers can help themselves by cutting and ensiliing grass when it is as dry as possible, as wet grass is much more hazardous.

Mr Matthews also said that well-maintained silage clamps reduce the possibility of further problems arising.

He said that farmers are well advised to keep a close eye on their silage for mycotoxin contamination which can pose a threat to livestock health and performance.

“The better prepared the storage conditions, the better the silage tends to be - and it allows farmers to rest easy in the knowledge they are not polluting the environment,” concluded Mr Matthews.