The Rodenticide Stewardship Regime
From October 2016 the law changed for farmers using professional rodenticides on their premises, for farmers to continuing using & purchased rodenticides farmers had four options available to them they were as follows,
- Possession of a certificate from an approved training programme and awarding organisation confirming professional competence.
- Employment of a professional pest control contractor, which employs technicians themselves in possession of such approved certificates.
- Membership of a UK farm assurance scheme which has among its standards a structured, documented and audited programme of rodenticide pest management (this was a transitional measure and only an option until December 2017)
- The purchase and use of amateur rodenticide products (which refers to pack sizes of up to 1.5kg.)
Since last year the CRRU (Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use) has been working with farm assurance schemes which previously met the transitional period to see if alignment could be maintained beyond this period. Over the year CRRU has worked with some assurance schemes and agreed new standards that comply with CRRU best practice and have guaranteed these new standards will be in force, before 1st January 2018 with their members.
Consequently, members of the listed schemes below will now be considered to be competent professionals and membership 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 (BPR,Regulation (EU) 528/2012).
- British Egg Industry Council Code of Practice for Lion Eggs
- Duck Assurance Scheme (Breeder Replacement, Breeder Layers, Hatcheries, Table Birds, Free-Range Table Birds)
- Agricultural Industries Confederation (Compound Feeds, Combinable Crops and Animal Feeds)
- Red Tractor Farm Assurance (Beef and Lamb, Dairy, Combinable Crops and Sugar Beet, Fresh Produce, Pigs, Poultry)
- Quality Meat Scotland (Cattle and Sheep, Pigs)
- Farm Assured Welsh Livestock (Beef and Lamb)
- Scottish Quality Crops
- Northern Ireland Farm Quality Assurance Scheme (Beef and Lamb, Cereals)
- Quality British Turkey
- Laid in Britain