Bord bia inspection

Amprodude

I took over the farm from my father earlier on this year. He is getting old. I have a bord bia inspection coming up soon, how do I fully prepare for it?

I'm new to running the farm myself, know most things on the farm itself but I'm not around full time and work on it only on my spare time and weekends. Moving cattle, Topping and spreading fertilizers when required etc. I work full time on an other profession so my dad still looks after the place when I'm not there and helps me out. This is just a hobby in the background for me and It's only drystock we have. 30 bullocks in total.

Anything I need to be worried about for the audit? I have all animal remedies entries recorded, and purchases, any feeds bought and have receipts. Have all blue cards and the herd register. Chemical store and first aid box in order. Disfectants and safety signs present. Rodent baits placed in specific spots around the farm. Good cattle handling facilities and housing. Receipts for plastic collection obtained.

Any questions the auditors usually ask? Can people list anything that could be asked. I'm new to this.

Thanks in advance.

ruwithme

You've covered the main ones sought after highly, records on sales & purchases & blue book up to date & remedies.he'll find something wrong probably somewhere else anyway, so don't concern.

Chances are you will pass given your post above, if not you'll get time to remedy the thing.keep him talking when he does land, that way he'll want to get away quick, as you'll be delaying his schedule.

whelan2

A first aid kit,think there has to be an eye wash in it

orm0nd

Health and safety statement, you do on line or print it off.

Some are checking pto shaft covers.

Remedies are the main one.

whelan2

Another one is that withdrawal dates for drugs are correct and adhered to

timple23

Make sure you have a sign about biosecurity, some signs only mention quality assurance.

Knackery dockets if any.

Labelled sharps container inside in medicine cabinet.

List of ingredients of ration, usually on a meal bag.

FRSA signed and dated for 2022.

Animal health plan and feed plan completed in farm book.

They will ask do you do reseeding to try and see if you were using any sprays incase you don't have pesticides recorded.

Do the sustainability survey online beforehand.

Amprodude

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119509476#Comment_119509476

Where do you get access to that sustainablity survey?

We have done no re-seeding. I have done a bit of spot spraying on dock leaves only.

hopeso

It would probably be a good idea to make him aware that you are new to running the farm, and that this is your first inspection. His file will probably tell him the farm is in QA for X amount of years, and he might pull you on things you should have learned over those years...

Also, be very careful regarding spot spraying. An awful lot of sprays are not licenced for spot spraying. Always read the label, and have the correct method of application on the paperwork....

minerleague

On the animal remedies if you use an antibiotic make sure you account for the full amount you get. ( bottle is usually 100ml so put down 40 day 1, and 2 x 30ml, or else you have to show how you disposed of unused materiel )

timple23

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119509842#Comment_119509842

https://farm.bordbia.ie/Default.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fSurvey.aspx

The pin would be on your renewal letter or ring helpdesk for it.

Amprodude

If you have animal remedies down, do they ask what each one is for and how much do you apply? I assume you can always say I read the instructions on the medicine of what to give?

Base price

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119511194#Comment_119511194

Have a read of this link from Agriland - "Helping to prepare for your Bord Bia audit"

https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/helping-you-prepare-for-your-bord-bia-audit/

Amprodude

Lads where can you get the newer quality assurance signs? Would co-op stores have them?

Thanks everyone on here so far who responded with help and guidance. Very much appreciated.

timple23

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119512374#Comment_119512374

You don't need a quality assurance sign, you need a biosecurity sign, if you have the FRSA document on the farm you don't need an FRSA is available on request. I just went on google images, printed this, put in a polypocket and taped it up on the wall. Passes every year. Gets taken down the minute they're gone.

paddysdream

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119511194#Comment_119511194

In the animals remedies register you are supposed to have ;

Name of product ,batch number ,identity of the animal ,amount given and dates ,Person administering the remedy ,prescribing vet (if prescription only ) remedy supplier ,withdrawl date .Think thats it .

For withdrawl its supposed to be a date ie inject today with something with 30 day limit then put 23rd September ,not 30 days .

With dosing you are supposed to put amount ie 1cc per 10kgs etc ,basically whatever is on the label .Dosing sheep usually just put stuff like ;All lambs on farm ,all ewe lambs ,all lambs marked with blue on tail or red on head etc etc .

Markus Antonius

Always pi$sing rain when our lad comes and he doesn't bother checking half the stuff.

One thing I didn't see mentioned above was the spraying license - is one of these not required even for buying the sprays in the first place? Not sure if they check the license or not.

hopeso

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119513362#Comment_119513362

As long as you have a heard number, you can buy the sprays. It’s the person spraying it that needs to be a registered pesticide user. If you do the spraying yourself, you need to be registered, and they may well check this. If a neighbour, relative or contractor does the spraying for you, they’ll need to be registered and their PU number will need to be recorded in your records.

MfMan

If you have a farm cat to control vermin, you should show a record of him / her being worm-dosed !

Amprodude

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119515806#Comment_119515806

I have that done.

Amprodude

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119513446#Comment_119513446

I did the approved course on spraying at agri college years ago. They told me that would allow me to spray pesticides.

893bet

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119516056#Comment_119516056

Have you a sprayer “in test”.”?

One and leads to the next question.

Robson99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119516594#Comment_119516594

Has anyone a Sprayer in Test....? dont think too many bother getting it tested

older by the day

Hide hide hide, anything that's not concreted or welded in, take it to the neighbors for the day. More you have the more you have to answer all those stupid questions

joe35

Let them answer the question for you.

If you stall your answers or say "jaysus I'm not sure" they normally answer for you.

Re spraying, we use salt water to kill any weeds in grasslands, we never use chemical 😉😉😉🤫🤫

ITfarmguy

Hey

I'm also just doing my first bord bia application and I've never done a Animal health plan before. I just have cows and calves along with keeping my own heifers from calves for replacements or to sell as springers. Just wondering what way any of you have it filled out in your books and what any of you think is the best time of year for any of the vaccinations/parasite control to be done? Or anything that should be done that they don't mention in the book template.

cheers

fulldnod

Don't mention any thing about spraying, be very innocent about most things, they will give you a heap of things wrong on the report no matter how good u are

farmertipp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120830606#Comment_120830606

you could give agritext a ring. Good with paperwork

joe35

On inspection the less you say the better, stall on all your answers and the inspector will probably answer for you.

Inspector; "do you spray weeds"

Me; eh jaysus I don't know, I eh, what do you call it, I eh, eh.

Inspector; would you just do a bit of topping.

Me; ah yea, a bit of topping, that's right

Sami23

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120831349#Comment_120831349

🤣 👏

tanko

Does the Bord Bia inspector have access to a farmers herd register on Agfood or does the farmer need to have the register ready for them on a computer or iPad/laptop?

You have access to it on your computer when inspector visits.

Injuryprone

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120920358#Comment_120920358

You log in on your phone or pc and give it to them to browse around. Alternatively you have the old blue book filled out

tractorporn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119508871#Comment_119508871

Make sure you sign the statement as I got a AOI for it not being signed.

tanko

Where are people getting their first aid kits??

Also, is a fire extinguisher required?

Say my name

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120956217#Comment_120956217

I got my first aid kit made up by the local chemist.

I wasn't asked about a fire extinguisher.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120956217#Comment_120956217

I buy it on Amazon. Never had an extinguisher in the parlour or sheds but now that you've mentioned it, I think one would be a good idea.

ABitofsense

Just had mine there now. I use Agrinet herdapp so medicines, feed, fertilizer & sprays all covered there. Tbh was very simple and easy, I was expecting alot worse as I work in a highly audited job. I don't have a fire extinguisher, picked up a first aid kit in co-op but forgot to put eye wash in.

whelan2

Just had mine this morning. Asked about fire extinguisher. We have a few. Bought a first aid kit from amazon for last inspection. Got new eye wash last week off amazon too. There's a **** load of questions. 3 hours he was here and he said I've a good show

whelan2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120956423#Comment_120956423

My lad said bord bia won't accept the herd register on herd app, only agfood

hopeso

How much attention do they pay to how clean the sheds are? Or the state of the place in general? I've only had over the phone audits since I joined. This year will be my first in person visit...

whelan2

My sheds aren't washed. Cows are in. Yard is a building site. As long as you're not taking the piss, they'll be grand. Existing milking parlour as old as myself

Robson99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120956706#Comment_120956706

Tell them to shove the lot of it if they say anything about the state of your sheds....and ask them what are they doing to promote same beef / lamb that's coming out of the sheds. Time farmers stopped being worried about these inspections

leoch

Here here robson

Lime Tree Farm

I wouldn't - every kind of occupation needs a bit of respect. How much could one expect to pay to power wash slatted sheds with lie back

Siamsa Sessions

I asked before about how farmers might question a Bord Bia auditor or the report they get re what needs to be done.

But I didn't get much of a reply. I think IFA might have someone on some board, but it seems to me that you're very much on your own.

Re clean sheds: the last time I was in Bord Bia it was during covid and so only a remote/photo inspection and a phone call. There was no mention of the shed being clean or otherwise on the day, but when I got the report it said I needed to have a general tidy up and have the shed cleaned out (there was some dung in it from the sheep lambing but it wasn't exactly full to the rafters).

The auditor was grand on the day, and I assume most are fine and do genuinely try not to catch you out. But the report then can tell a different story and there's bits on it that could have been discussed or checked on the day but were never mentioned.

whelan2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120957235#Comment_120957235

These are self employed people. You're not achieving anything by acting the dick other than being a dick. Complain to bord bia if you have a gripe with them

ABitofsense

I cleaned absolutely nothing. Sheds are dirty but I told her that sheds are used for sorting for AI or dosing or any handling of them & won't be cleaned till there coming in for housing. She was grand with that.

older by the day

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120956706#Comment_120956706

Ah you will be fine. It's like the NCT. The worst that can happen is they will tell you to do a few jobs and send in a picture when you are done. Hide anything that you know will fail and let them come away out and see. I've helped old lads to pass it around here. And in fairness once the medicine book is up to date the rest can be fixed. Don't be doing unnecessary work

whelan2

Safety statement up to date is another one.

Lime Tree Farm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120957440#Comment_120957440

That's what happens here too. Would like to do it after the slurry, but never seem to get around to it.

older by the day

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120957406#Comment_120957406

If respect is given it should be given back. Farmers today are every ones whipping boy. Don't be a door mat either. It's your yard and more importantly your home. I'd offer the devil a cup of tea but if he started acting the asshoole he would be asked to leave. 99 percent are fine. An Irritation but fine