The deadline to become a trained and registered professional user of pesticides with the Department of Agriculture is November 26, 2015.
Under new legislation, all farmers must be trained and registered by this date. Farmers can do so by doing a boom sprayer course and then registering with the Department.
There are still places on a number of courses which vary from one day to three days with prices ranging from €200 to almost €400.
Ealier this year Teagasc ran several courses costing €380 and the course fee included teaching from Teagasc trained tutors, a Teagasc workbook, lunch at Gurteen College for the three days, one-on-one assessments, certification and Teagasc verification.
Tim Ashmore, Assistant Principal at Kildalton College said that the demand isn’t there for Teagasc courses and that there are other operators doing the course over a shorter time period.
Farm Relief Services (FRS) will be running a number of boom sprayer courses across the country before the deadline. The price of the FRS course is €200 and they take place over two days.
Castleisland, Co. Kerry, Tinahely, Co. Wicklow and at the Mellows Campus in Athenry, Co. Galway are just some of the places offering the FRS courses.
FRS said that those who wish to do the course with their own equipment on their own site will be able to avail of a discounted rate.
The Chris Mee Group is also offering boom sprayer courses. The courses take place over two and a half days and it is aimed at people working with pesticides on golf courses, as well as landscapers, farmers and vegetable growers.
The courses will be taking place in Ballymoney Golf Course, Co. Wexford on October 6, 7 and 13 and also at the AUL Complex in Clonshaugh, Co. Dublin on October 6, 7 and 8. The courses cost €250.
Kilkenny-based HCT Ltd will also be running boom sprayer courses nationwide over three days. The cost of HCT Ltd’s course is €280 per person and there is a discounted rate for group bookings.
