Pesticide users reminded of requirement to register by 22 June

The new rules require any business in the farming sector which uses professional PPPs as part of the business to register
The new rules require any business in the farming sector which uses professional PPPs as part of the business to register

Farmers who use professional pesticides or any adjuvants are being reminded that registration is required by Wednesday.

The new rules, part of the Official Controls (Plant Protection Products) Regulations 2020, mean that users of PPPs or any adjuvants in Britain must register by 22 June.

Defra states its aim is to improve and provide assurance in feed and food safety, animal health and welfare and plant health.

Farm businesses, and others subject to the regulations, must notify Defra of their business name, activities, and location(s) of premises where pesticides are stored.

If pesticides and adjuvants are used for the first time after 22 June 2022, farmers and other users must register within three months of starting.

And if there is a significant change in businesses’ use of pesticides, such as a change of business address or closure of the business, they must inform Defra.

If the deadline is missed, the department says farmers can still fill in the form as soon as possible as they will still be accepted after the deadline.

Following successful lobbying by the NFU, Defra has changed the registration form so users can now record their involvement in assurance schemes.

According to the union, this could lead to being able to take into account earned recognition.

NFU vice president David Exwood said: “While Defra's intention appears to have been to keep this simple, farmers on the ground see these new requirements as a burden and understandably have a lot of questions about them.

"It is good that Defra is starting to respond to these concerns we've already raised with them.”

Who has to register?

A ‘professional user’ is any person or business who uses pesticides in the course of their work activities.

You are considered a professional user if you work in agriculture, amenity, or forestry in Great Britain and:

• Use professional pesticides and any adjuvants as part of your work, including if you are hired to spray pesticides on someone else’s land

• Have professional pesticides and any adjuvants applied by a third party as part of your work in agriculture or horticulture, amenity, or forestry

• Use pesticides when working in agriculture or horticulture when farming or maintaining arable crops, forage crops, livestock, or when treating seeds