Bord Bia has confirmed to the Irish Farmers Journal that audits under its Sustainable Beef and Lamb and Dairy Assurance Schemes are now reverting to on-farm audits in line with the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions.

Any audits scheduled before Monday 24 January will take place remotely unless farmers prefer to change this to an on-farm audit.

The decision to return to the on-farm auditing process is applicable to audits scheduled since Monday 24 January.

Remote audits can take place, but Bord Bia states that this will only be possible under exceptional circumstances.

Bord Bia has also delivered an update on its new blended audit process.

A spokesperson for the organisation said that the process is being finalised and tested and will be ready to roll out in the coming weeks.

Under this new process, participants will be required to upload information pertaining to animal remedy purchase and usage records, along with other relevant documentation.

This will remove the need for an auditor to inspect any documentation during the on-farm visit, with this confined to a visual inspection of facilities and livestock.