Residents, landowners and occupiers of grazing land asked to report cases of Ragwort posing a risk.
Rutland County Council is asking residents to report any Ragwort on council verges that is posing a risk to livestock.
Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea) is native biennial which is a food source for a wide range of insects. It is not usually a significant problem in gardens, but its poisonous qualities can make is a serious weed in paddocks and gardens backing onto fields grazed by horses or cattle.
It is important that residents make the council aware of where Ragwort may be causing a danger to livestock so that resources can then be targeted based on this information. Any cases that are reported will be looked at on a case-by-case basis to ensure that they don’t pose any risk to grazing livestock. Any ragwort that is deemed a risk will then be tackled.
Rutland County Council’s Portfolio Holder for Transport, Environment and Communities, Cllr Christine Wise, said: ‘Ragwort is an important park of UK biodiversity and therefore we are following Code of Practice to ensure that it is not eradicated but is prevented from spreading in areas that pose a high risk for grazing livestock. We therefore need residents, landowners and occupiers of grazing land to report any Ragwort growing on verges via FixMyStreet. This can include areas noted last year where we will monitor for this coming season wherever possible”.
‘Livestock owners are responsible for the welfare of their animals and have their own duties in terms of ensuring that their animals are not exposed to Ragwort. However, if we are notified of any high-risk areas then we can target resources to these verges.’
To report cases of Ragwort that are posing a risk to livestock please go to https://rutland.fixmystreet.com/
Ragwort – control & disposal
The NFU is reminding livestock farmers to remain vigilant to the risk of ragwort poisoning. Here's some advice on control and disposal.
Ragwort poses a real risk to animal health, with potentially fatal consequences if it is ingested by horses or livestock, either in its green or dried state. Left unchecked, a ragwort problem is likely to become worse, as the species is highly vigorous. A single specimen can produce up to 150,000 seeds with a germination rate of up to 70%.
For more advice on control and disposal click here
