Farming Monthly National January 2018 | Page 19

| Pests Rodent Control on Farms 2018 Rodenticide Compliance for 11 Assurance Schemes The Busters Group’s is now offering a new course called Rodent Control on Farms to meet the changes in UK law - this LANTRA accredited training can be delivered at our centre in Kings Norton, Birmingham or at your premises. Eleven assurance schemes with combined memberships of 95,000 farm businesses will be compliant with the UK Rodenticide Stewardship Regime for 2018. ur new Rodenticides training course meets the changes in law for the United Kingdom regarding the purchase and use of Rodenticides. We are one of a very few in England who are able to deliver these one-day LANTRA certificated course, Rodent control on Farms. This course will train your staff or yourself in best practice for preventative controls, as well as raising awareness to monitor activity and spot the first signs to take action. Gain a Certificate from an approved training programme and awarding organisation confirming professional competence. O www.farmingmonthly.co.uk From April 2017 new regulations for buying and using rodenticides, which means non- proffesionals, will now need a certificate of competence. SAVE TIME by learning how to keep rodent numbers down on your property – and even how to eliminate them. SAVE MONEY on wasted bait and avoid the thousands of pounds worth of damage rodents cause to stock, such as food products, grain, meal and bales. REDUCE RISK to staff, yourself and to public health. Ring now on 01564 829752 or e: [email protected] Price is £85.00 per person plus VAT (Inc Refreshments) hey are: • AIC’s Trade Assurance Scheme for Combinable Crops British Egg Industry Council’ s Lion code • Duck Assurance Scheme • Farm Assured Welsh Livestock • Laid in Britain • Northern Ireland Beef & Lamb Farm Quality Assurance Northern Ireland Farm Quality Assured Cereals Quality British Turkey • Quality Meat Scotland • Red Tractor Farm Assurance • Scottish Quality Crops Farmers presenting their membership document at sales outlets as proof of competence will continue to be able to purchase stewardship-label professional rodenticides from 1 January onwards. The audit standards of all 11 assurance schemes have been verified for compliance with stewardship conditions and the CRRU UK Code of Best Practice, which broadly require a systematic approach to rodent pest control, with documentation and regular independent audit procedures. In parallel, sellers of professional use rodenticides to pest controllers, farmers and gamekeepers are required by 31 December to have registered for a stewardship point-of- sale audit. T Administered by BASIS Registration, this requires authorisation holders (i.e. rodenticide manufacturers) to ensure UK sellers of their professional use products pass the audit and maintain this standard for the future. Farmers outside the approved schemes have three rodenticide use options: 1) Take an approved training course* and show the certificate when purchasing rodenticide. 2) Employ a certified professional pest controller. 3) Use rodenticide products authorised for amateur use. *http://www.thinkwildlife.org/list-of- training-and-certification/ The Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use UK reports to HSE and other Government Departments on rodenticide stewardship implementation. CRRU chairman Dr Alan Buckle says this combination of farm assurance and point-of-sale control helps ensure the entire supply chain is correctly implementing stewardship measures. “This will make a significant contribution to enabling continued access by competent users to professional use rodenticides for the future,” he emphasises. January 2018 | Farming Monthly | 19