Please find attached the latest edition of the AIC Scotland Newsletter. This provides an overview of the key issues which we have been working on over the past 6 months on behalf of members.
A reminder for members that AIC will be hosting a webinar on Friday on the future of agricultural support payments in England, including Environmental Land Management (ELM) and Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) schemes.
Fees for documentary, identity, and physical checks on ‘ high-priority’ plants and plant products imported from the EU (and Switzwerland and Liechtenstein) were initially postponed to begin in April and will now begin on 1 st June 2021. There will also be a £5.25 fee for documentary checks on all regulated plants and plant products from then.
Announcements made today confirm UK Government commitment to interim targets to achieving net zero by 2050 and indicate that aviation and shipping could be brought into the delivering the targets indicated by the carbon budgets and projections set by the Committee on Climate Change (CCC). The CCC holds government administrations to account over the lifetime of the Climate Change Act (as amended in June 2019).
In February the SCOPAFF voted through new limits on cadmium in foodstuffs in the EU. The publication of this in the Official Journal of the European Union is expected in coming months, and it will come into force in the EU six months from the date of publication.
Defra has announced that it is delaying the anticipated response to its consultation on reducing emissions from urea fertilisers, which closed on 26 th January. Officials analysing the responses had been expected to report at the end of this month.
While still not yet voted through at the SCOPAFF or appearing in the Official Journal, the European Commission have written to the WTO notifying them of the draft Regulation: | revising the maximum levels set for ergot sclerotia in cereal grains with the exception of maize and rice, to 0.2g/kg maximum level for unprocessed rye set at 0.5g/kg until 30.06.2024, and 0.2g/kg as from 1.07.2024 establishing maximum levels for ergot alkaloids in milling products of barley, wheat, spelt, rye and oats, wheat gluten, processed cereal based foods for infants and young children.
With the introduction of the UFAS 2020 Standard came a change in the Scheme Rules requiring UFAS participants to have an additional Short Notice Audit (SNA) once in a three year cycle, with the cost of this spread across the annual renewal fees.
A summary of changes document is available on the AIC website which provides guidance and clarity on the New and Updated clauses of the TASCC Testing Code of Practice and details where procedures may need updating in line with the new code.
Following requests from members, the AIC will be hosting a webinar on the future of agricultural support payments in England, including Environmental Land Management (ELM) and Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) schemes. | The AIC's Ed Barker and Andrew Pearson will give members a view on how direct support payments under the Basic Payment Scheme will be phased out, and how new schemes, including ELM will be phased in.
