Combined assurance/pollution check will save producers cash

A new combined farm assurance/IPPC assessment could save pig and poultry farmers at least £500 a year in Environment Agency (EA) fees, according to NSF-CMi Certification.

Until now the EA has carried out at least two IPPC visits a year a site, but with the new scheme, when a site is deemed of low risk, it will become eligible for a combined farm assurance assessment and only one EA visit a year.

Assessments by NSF-CMi Certification will be undertaken at the same time as the farm’s pig or poultry visit and early estimates suggest these members will save at least £500 in EA fees this year alone.

The scheme will directly affect pig producers who either have the capacity for more than 750 sows (including gilts) or more than 3000 production pig spaces (more than 30kg) and poultry producers with more than 40,000 birds. Outdoor pigs are not included, but free range poultry is.

According to Roy Boreham, livestock operations manager for NSF-CSi, more than 300 of the company’s members are eligible for the combined assessments and have already signed up.

“This project provides real monetary benefit to our members and recognises high achieving, professional farming businesses – a reduction in the number of visitors to a unit is also a welcome contribution to good biosecurity.”

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