| Security
Shock increase in livestock worrying as cost rises
to £1.6m
Leading rural insurer NFU Mutual has warned farmers to watch out for livestock worrying as the
cost of claims has reached a record level.
ew figures show
that the cost of
dog attacks on
livestock reported
to NFU Mutual
rose by 67 per
cent across the UK in the past two
years. The total cost to the
industry in 2017 is estimated at
£1.6m. In the last two years costs
more than quadrupled in Scotland
and nearly doubled in the
Midlands, while the average cost
of a claim rose by over 50% to
nearly £1,300.
New research1 by the insurer
has revealed that over 80 per cent
of dog owners exercise their pets
in the countryside, with over 60
per cent letting them roam off the
lead. 7 per cent of owners
admitted that their pets had
chased livestock in the past.
With many families expected to
visit the countryside during half-
term and the Easter holidays, the
insurer has launched a campaign
urging dog owners to keep their
pets on a lead at all times, and for
people to report out-of-control
dogs to a local farmer or the
police.
Tim Price, Rural Affairs
Specialist at NFU Mutual, said: “As
the insurer of nearly three-quarters
of the UK’s farmers and many
hobby farmers, we are sadly all too
aware of the heartbreak and huge
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financial loss that dog attacks
cause.
“For small farmers in particular,
livestock worrying is devastating
because it has a huge impact on
their productivity. While insurance
can cover the cost of replacing
stock killed and the treatment of
injured animals, there is a knock-
on effect on breeding programmes
that can take years to overcome.
“The number of incidents
reported to NFU Mutual shows
only part of the picture, as not all
farmers have insurance in place to
cover livestock worrying and
based on claims to us, we
estimate the cost to agriculture
was £1.6 million last year.
To help reduce the risk of a dog
worrying attack on your sheep or
cattle, NFU Mutual advises the
following:
• Check stock regularly in case
any have been attacked
• When possible keep sheep in
fields away from footpaths
• Put up signs warning dog
owners to keep their pets under
control on your land
• Maintain fences, walls and
hedges to make it more difficult for
dogs to get into grazing fields
• Report any attacks to the
police immediately
• Ask neighbours to alert you if
they see attacks or loose dogs
near your livestock
March 2018 | Farming Monthly | 31