Published: Thursday, 29th July, 2010 4:00pm

New requirements for FQAS inspections on farms since June

by Editorial Department

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Farmers awaiting inspections under the Northern Ireland Beef and Lamb Farm Quality Assurance Scheme (NIFQAS) should note a number of changes from their previous inspection, says the LMC.

The scheme operates an 18 month inspection interval for surveillance inspections to ensure that each farm alternates between summer and winter inspections.

It should be noted that NIFQAS requires 100% compliance with all the codes in the scheme product standard and failure to achieve this will result in non conformances being raised.

An April 2010 edition of the NIFQAS product standard,was distributed to all active FQAS members in earlym May of this year and NIFCC has been inspecting against this new standard since 1st June 2010.

Those FQAS members who have not yet had an inspection against this updated version of the standard should try to familiarise themselves with the new requirements of the scheme by reading the 2010 Product Standard and FQAS newsletter issued earlier this year. Scheme participants should also read carefully the inspection checklist issued to them by NIFCC prior to an inspection taking place.

Recent data provided by NIFCC has shown that of 326 farm inspections completed against the updated product standard only 24 of these had no non conformances raised. This represents 7.36% of inspections completed - a noticeable decline from the 25.3% of participants recorded as having no non conformances for the year ending 31/05/10.

Many of the non conformances raised since the beginning of June relate to the updated requirements in the product standard. This is not unexpected during the 'bedding' in period for the revised standard. The main non conformances currently being raised at inspection are:

- All necessary documentation has not been signed and dated in the 2010 edition of the FQAS standard.

- The sections that require completion are: Inside front cover of the Standard (must be signed and dated),Code 7.6 on page 31 (must be signed to declare that human sewage sludge and waste abattoir materials are not used in a disallowed way)

- Experience and Training Records Form on p36

- Animal Health Plan on pages 39-41,

- Broken Needle Policy on p44 (signed and dated)

- Industry Code of Practice for On Farm Feeding on page 60 (signed and dated if applicable)

- Welfare of Animals During Transport Guidance on p72 (signed and dated if applicable)

- Useful Information in the Event of an Emergency Form on page 74

- Complaints Record Form on page 75 (if applicable).

- Written declaration that feed records represent the totality of all externally sourced feedstuffs (a sticker for inserting in feed record booklets was sent out with the mailing in May to help conform to this requirement- signed and dated)

- April 2007 Rules Booklet for participation in FQAS (signed and dated).

Participants should note that by signing and dating the codes/documentation outlined above they are confirming that they have read and understood their content.

Producers have retained feed and medicine records for three years.

This is now a requirement of the NIBL FQAS to help aid the traceability of feedstuffs and medicines administered to livestock and as such producers should retain this information for the required timeframe.

The provision of washing and disinfection facilities on farm has now become a requirement of the scheme.

This is due to an enhanced bio-security policy in the animal health plan. Producers must have as a minimum a brush, bucket and disinfectant available for all visitors and vehicles entering the premises (please note that the provision of a footbath in isolation does not meet the requirements of the scheme).

Producers must have access to a copy of the Code of Good Agricultural Practice for the Prevention of Pollution of Water, Air and Soil.

This must be signed and dated to indicate that the participant has read and understood its contents.

Copies of this Code can be sourced from DARD Countryside Management Branch (CMB).

Where Livestock Hauliers are contracted by the producer they must be approved participants in the ABM Livestock Transport Scheme or an agreed equivalent.

Producers must keep a record of their haulier's ABM transport number and have it available at inspection. Approved FQAS members who haul their own stock are permitted to transport livestock for up to five neighbouring farmers. Hauling livestock for any more than five will result in the FQAS member being defined as a commercial haulier and participation in the ABM Livestock Transport

Scheme will be necessary. Participants using another approved FQAS member to transport their livestock must keep a record of their FQAS number and details of FQ status will be verified at NIFCC headquarters.