AIC at 20: Supporting NRoSO training for UK sprayer operators
As AIC marks 20 years as the UK agri-supply industry’s leading trade association, we're looking back at some of its greatest achievements since it was founded in 2003.
Each week throughout 2023, we’ll explore a major achievement where AIC represented its Member businesses, promoted the benefits of modern commercial agriculture in the UK, and supported collaboration throughout the food chain.
This week we look at how AIC has supported the continuous training of the UK's sprayer operators, helping to ensure plant protection products are applied safely and effectively to crops.
Supporting professional training
AIC has worked with the Voluntary Initiative (VI) to develop and support National Register of Sprayer Operators (NRoSO) courses since the training scheme's inception, and has provided funding since 2001.
Over the years, AIC Member businesses have also put considerable resources into undertaking training to ensure they are equipped to deliver quality training to sprayer operators. Throughout 2019-2020, AIC Members delivered training to about 9,000 NRoSO members at 600 events across Great Britain.
Without a national course for trainers to use, it would be more difficult for sprayer operators to maintain their professional training and many would struggle to obtain the points required to remain a member of NRoSO. Feedback from operators attending the training events highlight that they find it interesting and useful to share experiences with other NRoSO members at these events.
NRoSO training and the work of AIC and its Members helps give Government the confidence that the industry has the ability to self-regulate the use of plant protection products and meet crucial stewardship expectations.
Find out more about the Crop Protection and Agronomy sector by watching the video below.
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Authors
Oli Hill
As Head of Communications, Oli creates and oversees the content published on AIC's website, emails, Member briefings, print publications, and social media. A qualified multimedia journalist, he previously spent six years working at Farmers Weekly magazine as a Senior Reporter on the arable team, and latterly as Community Editor. More recently he was Communications Manager at Red Tractor.
Hazel Doonan
Hazel is based at AIC Head Office, Peterborough and is responsible for management and coordination of the Crop Protection Sector.