Farm records checklist for
nitrates inspection
The chair of the Agricultural Consultants Association (ACA), David Rankin, has reminded farmers to be prepared for the possibility of an upcoming nitrates inspection.
According to Rankin, the frequency of on-farm inspections will start to increase throughout the autumn. Farmers usually have one week’s notice of an inspection on receipt of a notification letter.
Farmers can prepare their own records or avail of assistance from a farm consultant. During an inspection, auditors can ask for farm records from 2012 to 2016.
The main records that are required for an inspection include:
Area of land farmed: taken from SAF forms submitted annually.Livestock numbers: six counts are taken across the year to provide an average stocking rate.Import/export records of slurry, farmyard manure (FYM) or poultry litter.Storage capacity for slurry and FYM – livestock farmers should have 22 weeks slurry storage, increasing to 26 weeks for pig farmers.Volume of clean and dirty water produced on farm from rain water.Fertiliser records.Sustainable use of pesticides increasing
Pesticides are being used in an increasingly sustainable manner in the UK, according to Health and Safety Executive’s Pesticides Forum.
The body is made up of various farming, industry and environmental groups and its annual report published last week states that collaborative work between Government and stakeholders is delivering responsible use of pesticides.
The report states that legislation introduced in November 2016 requiring all boom sprayers to be accredited under the National Sprayer Testing Scheme saw an increase in testing in 2015/16 with 17,283 sprayers tested in the UK during the 12-month period.
The Pesticides Forum estimates that 20,000 to 25,000 sprayers in the UK were not NSTS-accredited in 2016, but the report states that the actual number needing accreditation is lower than this with more farmers moving towards using contractors for spraying.
The report also states that no breaches of the proper use of Plant Protection Products requirement were found in any cross-compliance inspections carried out in Northern Ireland in 2015.
Mash Direct up for Amazon award
Comber-based agri-food company Mash Direct has been nominated for the Best Rural Food and Drink Business Award in the Rural Business Awards being held in Surrey in December.
The awards are being sponsored by e-commerce giant Amazon after the company entered the UK food industry in June 2016 when it launched its AmazonFresh service in London.
The grocery service delivers in one-hour slots in 260 postcodes in parts of London, Surrey and Hampshire and Mash Direct is listed as one of its suppliers.
“With the ever-changing advances Amazon are making in the technology field, we wanted to collaborate with them,” said Tracy Hamilton from Mash Direct.
Farm records checklist for
nitrates inspection
The chair of the Agricultural Consultants Association (ACA), David Rankin, has reminded farmers to be prepared for the possibility of an upcoming nitrates inspection.
According to Rankin, the frequency of on-farm inspections will start to increase throughout the autumn. Farmers usually have one week’s notice of an inspection on receipt of a notification letter.
Farmers can prepare their own records or avail of assistance from a farm consultant. During an inspection, auditors can ask for farm records from 2012 to 2016.
The main records that are required for an inspection include:
Area of land farmed: taken from SAF forms submitted annually.Livestock numbers: six counts are taken across the year to provide an average stocking rate.Import/export records of slurry, farmyard manure (FYM) or poultry litter.Storage capacity for slurry and FYM – livestock farmers should have 22 weeks slurry storage, increasing to 26 weeks for pig farmers.Volume of clean and dirty water produced on farm from rain water.Fertiliser records.Sustainable use of pesticides increasing
Pesticides are being used in an increasingly sustainable manner in the UK, according to Health and Safety Executive’s Pesticides Forum.
The body is made up of various farming, industry and environmental groups and its annual report published last week states that collaborative work between Government and stakeholders is delivering responsible use of pesticides.
The report states that legislation introduced in November 2016 requiring all boom sprayers to be accredited under the National Sprayer Testing Scheme saw an increase in testing in 2015/16 with 17,283 sprayers tested in the UK during the 12-month period.
The Pesticides Forum estimates that 20,000 to 25,000 sprayers in the UK were not NSTS-accredited in 2016, but the report states that the actual number needing accreditation is lower than this with more farmers moving towards using contractors for spraying.
The report also states that no breaches of the proper use of Plant Protection Products requirement were found in any cross-compliance inspections carried out in Northern Ireland in 2015.
Mash Direct up for Amazon award
Comber-based agri-food company Mash Direct has been nominated for the Best Rural Food and Drink Business Award in the Rural Business Awards being held in Surrey in December.
The awards are being sponsored by e-commerce giant Amazon after the company entered the UK food industry in June 2016 when it launched its AmazonFresh service in London.
The grocery service delivers in one-hour slots in 260 postcodes in parts of London, Surrey and Hampshire and Mash Direct is listed as one of its suppliers.
“With the ever-changing advances Amazon are making in the technology field, we wanted to collaborate with them,” said Tracy Hamilton from Mash Direct.
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