02 July 2023

SCEP participants - don’t forget about the Bord Bia requirement

The new Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP) requires that all applicants become certified members of Bord Bia’s Sustainable Beef and Lamb Assurance Scheme (SBLAS). However, many farmers who have applied for SCEP have yet to apply to join SBLAS.

Farmers who have joined SCEP but are yet to apply for SBLAS need to act now to ensure they are certified by the deadline of October 16^th, 2023. Participation in SCEP is hinged on being a certified member of SBLAS. Simply applying to join SBLAS before the October deadline is insufficient and full approval must have been granted before this date. For new entrants into SBLAS, it’s advisable to apply to be certified as soon as possible as a higher level of demand may delay the approval process.

Joining Bord Bia – what suckler farmers need to know

Below, Damien Murray, Origin Green Standard Co-ordinator with Bord Bia, provides information to support you through the application process, so you know what to expect and how to prepare.

The audit

The purpose of the audit is to assess compliance with the SBLAS standard, not to look for issues or to find fault with your farm. During the audit, the auditor aims to form a valid opinion based upon the evidence before them. The audit lasts 90 minutes, on average, and the length can be influenced by how well you are prepared. The audit will also help your farm meet the requirements of a cross compliance audit.

How do I join the Bord Bia SBLAS?

Bord Bia operates a helpdesk for farmers, which is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm. The helpdesk is there to explain the requirements of the SBLAS, take applications and help you to prepare.

First steps:

Call 01 524 0410 to speak to the helpdesk.
The helpdesk will assist you with your application and answer any queries about the SBLAS and the audit.
You will receive a member pack, which contains:

Your unique PIN to log onto bordbia.ie;
The SBLAS Standard, i.e. the requirements of SBLAS;
A pre-audit information checklist;
The Bord Bia farm book, which gives you an optional template to record all required records.

An auditor will contact you to choose a suitable time and date for your audit.

The close-out model

The audit is conducted in a close-out model, which means you will not fail on the day of audit if issues arise. Instead, will have a period of up to 28 days to address non-compliances. The Bord Bia helpdesk is also available to assist to ‘close-out’ the audit. Evidence can be provided by post, text message or via email. You can also upload evidence by logging onto farm.bordbia.ie. You can also nominate an individual, such as a relative or neighbour, to complete the close-out on your behalf. The close out process does not apply if no issues are raised during the audit. In these cases, the audit report will go immediately to the certification body.

Audit steps

The audit begins with a brief opening meeting, requesting your consent to be audited.
The auditor inspects your herd for general stock health, welfare and tagging requirements.
Your farm infrastructure – yard, pens, sheds etc. – are inspected to ensure they are reasonably neat, tidy and fit for purpose.
The auditor will access if there is pollution or environmental risks and any safety hazards.
The auditor will ask to see your farm documents and records. For new applicants, all records required under the scheme must have been correctly maintained for a period of at least six months prior to the audit (see list below).
The audit ends with a closing meeting in which the auditor will inform you of the audit findings, explain any issues that need to be corrected (if necessary), and explain the recommendations they will be making (if any).
Before final certification, an inspection report goes to the inspection body.

On successful completion, you receive your certification letter via post and your Farmer Feedback Report with your carbon footprint.

Common issues

In general, the majority of non-compliances found during the audit relate to record keeping and in particular, recording of animal remedies (usage and purchase). Ensuring you have a full and complete record of all medicine purchases and medicine usages prior to the audit will eliminate any non-compliances.

For animal remedy usage, you must record the following:

Date of administration.
Name of medicine.
Quantity given.
Identification of animal.
Name of person giving the medicine/remedy or the name of the prescribing vet.
Date of the end of the withdrawal period. A common mistake is to insert the number of withdrawal days instead of date of end of withdrawal period.

Where an individual animal is treated, the identity of the animal must be clearly documented, for example using the tag number or freeze brand. Where the remedy is administered to a group of animals, it must be possible to clearly identify each animal in the group from the relevant herd register (e.g. all calves born Jan 1 - Mar 31 only).

Animal remedy purchase records can be kept using computer-based records, by using a manual such the Bord Bia Farm Book, or by retaining vet’s prescriptions for the previous six months.

The following details must be included:

Date of purchase.
Medicine name.
Quantity purchased.
Name and address of the supplier.

How to keep records

Farmers have several options with regard to where they maintain records. In some cases, retention of invoices/statements will suffice, software packages may be used or any other format that allows you to record all the required detail as set out in the standards. Records only need to be kept in one location.

Consistency is what auditors are trying to establish when reviewing farm records during an audit. They do this by determining the correlation between the records, what is observed during the audit and any information you provide during the audit.

Documents and records required:

Herd register (either online on Ag food or in the blue book).
Animal remedy purchase and usage records.
Animal movement records.
Passports / Blue cards.
Knackery receipts (if applicable).
Animal health plan.
A record of any animal mortality and significant health issues.
Feed purchase records and feed delivery dockets.
Pesticide usage (if used on the farm).
Farm Safety Risk Assessment.
Waste plastic collection receipts (if any).
Sustainability Survey.
Farmyard sketch of bait points (if bait points used).
Name of veterinary services providers, veterinary product suppliers, hauliers and any persons applying pesticides.

Damien joined Catherine Egan on a recent episode of the Beef Edge podcast. Listen in below for more information on becoming a member of the SBLAS scheme: