MANY supporters have contacted us to voice their
concerns about ragwort, which is blooming at the
moment. As every horse owner and farmer knows, ragwort
contains toxins which can have debilitating or fatal
consequences if eaten by horses and other grazing
animals.
Ragwort has its place in the countryside; it supports a
wide variety of invertebrates and is a major nectar source
for many insects, but it must be controlled, especially
where there are horses and livestock.
Land stewardship and animal husbandry are both huge
responsibilities and I know that they are taken seriously
by farmers, but it is important that the dangers posed by
ragwort reach the widest possible audience.
There is a growing concern that some public bodies who
own land, such as local authorities, are not taking the
problem seriously and managing their land appropriately,
but there is no excuse; a code of practice on how to stop
the spread of ragwort is available from DEFRA.
The Countryside Alliance will be writing to all local
authorities and other bodies in the coming weeks to
remind them that they have a duty to control ragwort on
their land and must be vigilant, especially where their land
abuts farmland.
The threat ragwort poses to animals cannot be
underestimated and is something that all landowners,
whether public or private, must take seriously.
Simon Hart
Chief executive
Countryside Alliance