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Sandy Thomson
of Westpark Farm, by Aberfeldy
FORM FILLING is usually at the bottom of most peoples list of favourite things to do. Farmers are no different – they would rather be out in the fields working. This spring however, form filling will be one of the most important jobs they will do.
The Integrated Administration and Control System Form (IACS) has to be filled in for each farming business. The IACS form contains details of what is grown in each field and numbers of stock kept on the farm.
16 May is the deadline for submission of the form to the local Scottish Environment & Rural Affairs Department (SEERAD) office. The completed form enables each business to establish its entitlements for the Single Farm Payment Scheme (SFPS). Claims can also be made under the Less Favoured Area Support Scheme (LFASS), the Scottish Beef Calf Scheme (SBCS) and the Land Management Contract Menu Scheme (LMC).
Fines
The explanatory booklet for filling in the IACS form runs to 52 pages, perhaps its most important section is the one that lists all the penalties for late form submission or mistakes – 4% per day after the deadline of 16 May can be deducted from this years payments and all future years payments. So forms submitted on time and filled in correctly are just as important as all the other work that goes on with livestock or crops at this time of year.
Stock Disease
Livestock kept in close proximity at this time of year for calving or lambing can suffer from any number of diseases. One we have been hearing about in the news recently is Cryptosporidion. This is found in animals intestines and can be spread to humans and causes vomiting, stomach cramps, diarrhoea and mild fever. This particular bug has been responsible for a major health scare this spring, which originated in lambs at the Auchingarrich Wildlife Centre near Comrie. A number of children have had to be treated in hospital with many more reporting symptoms.
Careful hand washing and disinfecting are usually enough to control the spread of cryptosporidion and other such bugs, so hopefully this will serve as a reminder of how susceptible people are to any number of infections which livestock carry, and at all times, if they have been in contact with livestock at wildlife parks or farm visits, they must wash their hands thoroughly.
Fuel
This month’s moan must surely been the rising fuel prices, with both truck and tractor fuel rising to record levels. Haulage companies in particular are feeling the strain with not only the new working time directive which limits drivers hours, but with all inputs usually arriving on the farm by road in a truck and outputs leaving the same way, higher fuel prices can only mean higher haulage costs.
There seems to be little prospect of crude oil prices falling so all we can hope for is a reduction in duel duty imposed by the new Government!
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