Just recently, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine announced the implementation of the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Directive (SUD). This directive stipulates that all professional users such as farmers and distributers of plant protection products will be required to be trained and registered with the department by the 26th November 2015. The training courses required is known as the Boom Sprayer and farmers need to be compliant.
At this year’s National Ploughing Championships which are due to take place over three days (22nd-24th Sept), FRS will be giving live demonstrations of the Boom Spraying Course each day. People will get to see first-hand how the Boom Sprayer course works and how effective the course itself is. Those who wish to come along will have the opportunity to sign up for the compulsory Boom Spraying course. Along with this, some very lucky person will be in with a chance of winning a free spraying course.
FRS Training (Farm relief services) is a FETAC/QQI approved professional pesticide user training provider. All of the courses are suited to farming life. The courses are run over two tutor led training days but are not consecutive days, which lessens the burden to farmers. So far, the combination is proving to be appealing to farmers and the training which they receive is of high quality.
Once farmers have completed the QQI Level 5 course there are certain key learnings that farmers will be able to apply:
• Ability to explain the terminology used to categorise pesticides for crop.
• Describe procedures for the safe handling, storage application and storage of pesticides including Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
• Demonstrate knowledge of the laws and regulations relating to poisonous substances including record keeping.
• Interpret pesticide label information correctly.
• Prepare boom sprayer/knapsack sprayer for work.
• Make up and apply a pesticide spray mix in accordance with good practice.
Mark McConnell an agricultural consultant wanted to ensure that his clients in Donegal were compliant and so decided to team up with FRS training to work with him in delivering the course to his tillage and grassland clients in Donegal. All his clients had to do was turn up and participate.
“It is important to me that my clients are compliant at all times, so to make their lives easier I set up the mandatory sprayer courses with FRS, as I trust them to deliver the best standard of training for my clients. This is not just as tick the box exercise this training will stand to my clients and give them the skills to be more effective”.
To see the Boom Sprayer course in action, head along to the FRS Stand (Block 1, Row 26, Stand 40) at the National Ploughing Championships in Ratheskia, Stradbally Co. Laois, the 22nd to the 24th of September. There will be live demonstrations each day so be sure to sign up on the day.
Further information on registration and training requirements and hard copies of all registration forms visit www.pcs.agriculture.gov.ie
Contact FRS Training on 1890 20 1000 or visit www.frstraining.com
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