Scottish farm leaders criticise new ‘duplicate’ audit for pesticide customers

Farm leaders are calling for the Scottish authorities to recognise that assurance membership demonstrates that companies are complying with their duties beneath plant safety product (PPP) regulation.

A post-Brexit regulatory requirement entails using pesticide enforcement officer (PEO) inspections of companies and customers {of professional} pesticides, which is because of start in October 2023.

In a joint assertion, business our bodies are calling for customers of pesticides who’ve their companies audited as a part of an assurance scheme to have ‘earned recognition’ and to be exempt from the federal government audit.

Teams who’ve issued the assertion embody NFU Scotland, Scottish High quality Crops (SQC), Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC) and High quality Meat Scotland (QMS).

Farm and enterprise audits are performed yearly as a part of unbiased farm and commerce assurance inspections. In Scotland, the related farm assurance our bodies are SQC and QMS.

The organisations acknowledged that duplication of audit was “an pointless bureaucratic burden” for all companies and the Well being and Security Government (HSE).

“We wish Scottish authorities and the HSE to recognise {that a} profitable assurance audit already demonstrates that companies are complying with their duties beneath PPP regulation.

“Farm companies and companies who’re audited yearly and show that they’re compliant by reaching assured standing, ought to have ‘earned recognition’ that they’re complying with their duties beneath PPP regulation.

“In a dedication to take away crimson tape and enhance simplification, we ask that HSE recognise farm and commerce assurance requirements as an applicable and strong mechanism to examine and guarantee companies.

“It’s an present mechanism that provides companies the earned recognition that rules are being complied with.

“We name on Scottish authorities and HSE to recognise that the necessities of farm and commerce assurance requirements reveal compliance with companies’ duties beneath PPP regulation.”