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EmailIphone Application    Posted: 12th May 2014
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Irish farmers urged to sow wild bird cover
farmer
The most popular and easy to grow crop is the one year crop of oats and linseed.

Crop must be sown before the end of May

Irish farmers are being encouraged to take part in a scheme to provide a crop of wild bird cover.

Spring-sown crop or crop mixture must be sown before the end of May, according to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARDNI).

The schemes aim to give farmland birds  a valuable food source for the harsh winter months.

Farmers are paid a rate of around £500/ha depending on the scheme and crop type.

The most popular and easy to grow crop is the one year crop of oats and linseed.

Francis McElwee, who farms on the slopes of Slieve Gallion, Desertmartin, has been growing wild bird cover for eight years under his environmentally sensitive areas agreement.

He said: "I find oats hardier and surer to grow in poorer soils. This year along with oats I am sowing some barley, mustard and linseed. 

"With a lot less birds in the countryside now, it's great to see the swallows sailing over the field to pick up insects and the smaller birds feeding on the crop over the winter."

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Defra shares new Sanitary and Phytosanitary guidance

News Story 1
 Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.

The agreement, which will change the movement and trade of animals and related products, could see reductions in checks, paperwork and certification. As well as describing regulatory developments, the advice highlights the importance of animal ID, registration and traceability in disease control and other compliance arrangements.

The guidance can be found here. More detail is expected as negotiations progress. 

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News Shorts
New form for online veterinary medicines retailers

The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) has produced a new online form for retailers wishing to sell veterinary medicines on the internet.

The form replace the previous Word version and is part of the VMD's ongoing commitment to digitise its processes. Anyone retailing prescription medicines online, including POM-V, POM-VPS and NFA-VPS categories, is lawfully required to register with the VMD before trading.

The change only applies to new applicants. Retailers already listed on the VMD's Register of Online Retailers or registered under the Accredited Internet Retailer Scheme (AIRS) do not need to do anything.