Day 090 - 16 Feb 95 - Page 55


     
     1
     2   Q.   For what, sorry?
     3        A.  I presume it is exported for animal feeds.
     4
     5   Q.   Some such waste gets sprayed on land as well sometimes?
     6        A.  I think it would be very unlikely that meat and
     7        bonemeal could be spread on land.  I do not think that
     8        would be a very good idea.
     9
    10   Q.   The spreading of large quantities of environment/index.html">litter on land can
    11        have ecological implications, can it not?
    12        A.  Yes.  The function of the manager who handles our
    13        environment/index.html">litter sales is to advise farmers as to how much they can
    14        actually put on the land.  The fertilizer value of the
    15        poultry environment/index.html">litter is determined, the nitrogen, phosphorus and
    16        potash, NPK values, and the from the NPK value of the
    17        environment/index.html">litter the farmer is advised as to how much he should put
    18        on land for particular purposes.  It is very important that
    19        excessive nitrates are not put on to agricultural land.
    20
    21   Q.   That can cause particular damage in rivers and water
    22        courses?
    23        A.  Yes, it can.
    24
    25
    26   Q.   Killing fish?
    27        A.  Yes, excessive nitrogen if it is leached out of the
    28        soil can get into water courses which increases the growth
    29        of algae and things which use up oxygen in the water and
    30        that can be detrimental to fish.
    31
    32   Q.   This is a problem of intensive farming?
    33        A.  Well, it is a problem, I think, of farming in general
    34        whether you are using artificial or organic fertilizers.
    35        I think it is just an indication which I think farmers are
    36        becoming well aware of now that they do not need to use or
    37        they do not want to use any more nitrogen than is really
    38        necessary.
    39
    40   Q.   Is it something that is becoming more of -- it was not
    41        something that was really considered much a few years ago?
    42        A.  I think in the past the dangers of it or the
    43        consequences of it really were not fully understood.
    44        I think now they are being understood it actually means
    45        that farmers are measuring much more carefully the amount
    46        of nitrogen they put on land.  In fact, the use of organic
    47        material such as animal manure is greatly beneficial rather
    48        than using artificial fertilizer where it is much easier to
    49        put on excessive nitrogen.
    50 
    51   Q.   But it is still possible to put on and it does happen or it 
    52        certainly has happened within the last five, 10 years that 
    53        is excessive quantities of animal manure have been causing
    54        ecological damage?
    55        A.  Well, I think maybe that is a possibility.  The
    56        responsibility of our company is to advise farmers how much
    57        environment/index.html">litter they can spread on the land in the light of their
    58        current best knowledge of agricultural practice.  I think
    59        that is really as far as we can take it.
    60

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