Farmers prepare for looming pesticide enforcement officer visits

Farmers are being urged to prepare for upcoming pesticide enforcement officer (PEO) visits, commencing this month.

In November, PEOs will begin an initial phase of farm visits as part of the next step of the Official Control Regulations (OCRs), introduced in 2020.

The requirement placed a duty on professional users of plant protection products (PPP) to register with Defra.

Now the next step involves inspection visits to check how well PPP users are complying with the law.

Most PEO visits will be carried out by appointment, but some may be unannounced.

NFU Scotland’s Environmental Resources Policy Manager, Sarah Cowie said while the farming sector must prepare, the measures were an 'additional and unwelcome burden' on farms.

She said: "In June 2023, [we] called on the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Defra to recognise that farm and trade assurance membership sufficiently demonstrates compliance with PPP law.

"We will continue to work with others and push for earned recognition in order to reduce the burden on on-farm inspections."

There have been some small changes; the registration form on the Defra website now has an option to record membership of any assurance schemes.

However, Ms Cowie said there were unlikely to be any major changes ahead of the initial phase of inspections, meaning any professional user of PPPs can receive a PEO visit.

Such visits have already been happening for the PPP supply chain, and for users in the amenity sector.

Ms Cowie noted that they are now moving on to farms: "In the interests of taking a risk-based approach to inspections, the PEOs will not be visiting everyone in the initial phase, but those they deem to be at highest risk of non-compliance."

Farms that are most likely to receive a visit in the first phase of visits will include those that are 150 acres or more, and those that are not currently registered as a PPP user under the OCR.

Farm businesses that have not been visited by HSE in the past five years are also most likely to receive a visit.

If farmers have registered as a PPP user, they will not be targeted for inspection in this initial phase of farm visits.

Visits will focus on the management of PPPs, looking at storage, handling, application equipment, record keeping and LERAPs (Local Environment Risk Assessments for Pesticides).

Ms Cowie explained that a common issue PEOs were finding was the storage of unauthorised PPPs.

"Ahead of visits, they are recommending farmers check stocks and dispose of unauthorised PPPs appropriately," she said.

"More information on what to expect from the visit can be found at the HSE website."