HUNDREDS of Welsh farms continue to bear the brunt of UK sheep movement restrictions – 25 years after they were imposed following the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.
They continue to be restricted in the way they can use land and rear sheep because of fallout from the world’s worst nuclear power accident.
When the disaster happened in April 1986, some 9,700 farms and more than four million sheep were under restriction across the UK after downpours rained radioactive material onto land across northern Europe. Bans in Northern Ireland were lifted in 2000.
For the hundreds of Welsh farmers still living with Chernobyl’s legacy, the restrictions mean their animals are only allowed to enter the food chain after rigorous safety tests. It is understood the restrictions could continue for many years to come.
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2010/05/10/farms-still-suff...