By Alec Ross
FOUR separate Scottish farming organisations are calling for the Scottish Government and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to recognise that farm and trade assurance membership demonstrates that businesses are complying with their duties under Plant Protection Product (PPP) law.
A post-Brexit regulatory requirement has seen the HSE announce that Pesticide Enforcement Officer (PEO) inspections of businesses and users of professional pesticides is due to commence in October 2023 under the Official Controls Regulation (OCR).
In a joint statement, NFU Scotland, Scottish Quality Crops (SQC), Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC) and Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) called for businesses and users of professional pesticides who have their businesses audited as part of a trade or farm quality assurance scheme to have ‘earned recognition’ and to be exempt from a duplicate audit under the government scheme “The requirements of farm and trade assurance standards demonstrate compliance under PPP law,” they state.
Round-up
Following recent national trends, lambs at Newton Stewart yesterday achieved lower prices on the week, averaging 289p/kg.
However, heavy lambs continue to meet demand with a Charolais from Kilpatrick making £158. Prices topped at 328p/kg for Beltexes from Robert Fleming, Castle Sinniness while hoggs peaked at £150/head or 247p/kg for Lleyns from High Ersock, Cast tups held up reasonably well, selling to £157/head for Suffolks from Chapelton, and while cast ewes were less in demand they sold to £140 for Texels from Mull of Galloway.
OTM cattle continue to meet demand, a trend evident at Dumfries where Fleckviehs sold to £1,708 for Slacks and to £1,620 for Anguses from Townfoot. Simmentals sold to £1,572 for Garloff while Limousins made £1,530 for Belridding.
As elsewhere, prime lambs eased in value and sold to £156 for Charolais from Maryholm. And prime Texel hoggs sold to £128 for Townhead.
Breeding sheep continue to meet with demand, with a Charolais with lamb at foot selling for £108 at Longtown on Tuesday for Baxter, Moss Side, who also sold Mule ewes to £97/head.
Hoggs with lambs at foot exceeded expectations by selling to £129 for Orchilmore Suffolks with Beltex lambs, with Texel / Beltex combinations selling to £120 for Thornton Towers.
Meanwhile, an attractive entry of Beef Shorthorn females sold twice to a top of 2400gns for heifers with calves at foot from Kilbarchan and Kemplee.
Maiden heifers showed up strongly and sold to 1,800gns for Cotland while non-pedigrees also did well, topping £2,000 on four occasions for Borthwickshiels.
And there was competitive bidding for all classes of store cattle in a trade that included £2,000 for a yearling Angus bull from Fell House, with bullocks selling to £1,600 for Limousins from Hethermill.
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