The Farmers Mart Dec-Jan 2018 - Issue 54 | Page 71

PEST CONTROL 71
• DEC/JAN 2018
FARM ASSURANCE SCHEMES –
ARRANGEMENTS AFTER DECEMBER 2017
Under transitional arrangements agreed between the Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use
(CRRU) UK, all relevant stakeholder organisations and the Government Oversight Group1 (chaired
by the Health and Safety Executive), members of farm assurance scheme whose standards involved
a systematic approach to rodent pest management, with documentation and regular independent
audit procedures, were considered competent to purchase professional rodenticide products
for application outdoors. This transitional arrangement will end on 31stDecember 2017.
THE CRRU UK Best Practice Work
Group has completed work with
farm assurance schemes which
previously met the transitional
requirements so that alignment
may be maintained beyond the
transitional period. To do this, the
work group established a set of 13
‘key indicators’ for alignment of
assurance scheme standards with
the CRRU UK Code of Best Practice
on rodent pest management
(available at: www.thinkwildlife.
org/stewardship-regime).
Farm assurance schemes listed
below have produced new stand-
ards that have been assessed by
the work group and found to meet
the key indicators and therefore
their members will continue to be
considered competent profes-
sionals for the application of
rodenticides outdoors. Member-
ship documents, when presented
at points of sale, will be regarded
as ‘certification’ for the purchase
of professional rodenticide
products which carry labels with
stewardship conditions (under
the requirements of the Biocidal
Product Regulation, EU 528/2012)
from 1st January 2018 onwards.
No further proof of competence
will be required for purchase
of professional rodenticides.
However, some farm assurance
schemes have a requirement
that all staff (including, but not
limited to, full and part-time and
family members) are trained and
competent to carry out the work
they do. Where this is so, schemes
are encouraged to recommend
to members training courses in
rodent pest management that are
approved by CRRU UK (see: www.
thinkwildlife.org/training-certifi-
cation).
Those in the farming sector who
are not members of the approved
farm assurance schemes listed
below have the following alter-
natives in respect of the use of
rodenticides on their holdings:
1. possession of a certificate
from an approved course of
training (see above),
2. employment of a certificated
pest management profes-
sional
3. purchase and use of amateur
rodenticide products.
www.thinkwildlife.org