The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) has announced that new rules on the purchase and use of professional rodenticide bait to control rats and mice will come into force next year.

However, the UK farming unions have secured the option for farmers to use their farm assurance scheme membership as proof of competence until at least the end of 2017.

In a move designed primarily to reduce the risk of non-target species - such as barn owls, red kites, buzzards and kestrels - being inadvertently exposed to rodenticide, the HSE has decreed that from 1 June 2016 anyone wishing to buy professional rodenticide bait (but not fumigants) will need to hold certified "proof of competence" in rodent pest control.

For other smaller sectors - gamekeepers, professional pest controllers and local authority staff - this proof can only be demonstrated via a formal qualification.

The farming unions have successfully argued that the number of farmers who would have needed to be qualified by the 1 June 2016 deadline was so large - in excess of 90,000 across the UK - that there was a real risk that essential rodent control would be under threat.

The HSE accepted this argument and agreed that, until 31 December 2017, membership of any farm assurance scheme with a requirement for an audited programme of rodent pest management would be sufficient for the member to continue to be able to buy and use professional rodenticide bait.

In Scotland, both the QMS (Quality Meat Scotland) and SQC (Scottish Quality Cereals) schemes meet this requirement - meaning that their combined membership of 13,426 will not be immediately burdened by new red tape. Similarly, members of all the Red Tractor assurance schemes - including the dairy, fresh produce and poultry schemes active in Scotland - will also be covered until the end of 2017.

NFU Scotland's deputy director of policy, Andrew Bauer commented: "It is essential that rats and mice - a risk to health, livelihoods and food quality - continue to be controlled on farms.

"Farm assured status in Scotland means an annual inspection to a defined standard."

Market round-up

The Cumberland and Dumfriesshire Farmers Mart sold 2517 prime lambs in Longtown on Thursday to a top of £87 per head and 178.6p per kg to average 148p (-7p on the week).

A smaller show of 5219 cast sheep saw heavy ewes sell to £132 for Texels and average £72.04 (-£3.71), while light ewes peaked at £77 for Blackfaces and levelled at £42.99 (-£2.08). Rams sold to £173 for a Charollais and averaged £94.94 (+£3.56).