ICM survey will gauge mood on green farming
ICM survey will gauge mood on green farming
By Tom Allen-Stevens
THE largest ever UK survey of Integrated Crop Management (ICM) has been launched to gauge how farmers have taken to green farming.
The survey of 4000 farmers and growers is being undertaken as part of the Voluntary Initiative package of 27 measures designed to stave off a pesticides tax. But the project has yet to deliver the results of a pesticide usage survey, which was due to be completed by the end of February.
Richard Trow-Smith, of the Crop Protection Association, said ICM was the focus for future policies for UK agriculture. "When we can better understand the possible obstacles, we can begin to work out how best to provide help more effectively where it is really needed."
Mr Trow-Smith said he hoped the results would be made public in September, but was unable to give details of a survey of pesticide practice, which was to be the first results of the project since it was started 14 months ago.
"The steering group decided it would be best to release not only the results of the survey, but also the recommended actions at the same time."
A suitable venue to release the results would be the Sprays and Sprayers event at the end of June, he said.
But steering group head, Barry Dent, said there was no reason to delay the release of the results. "They are going through the last stage of analysis and should be released very soon."
The ICM survey has been sent to growers by post and will be backed up with 200 farm visits carried out by consultants ADAS. It will assess the awareness and uptake of ICM and Integrated Pest Management (IPM), whether there are differences between the horticultural and agricultural sectors and specific areas where ICM is not working. *