Legislation checklist: Specialist mainstream/intensive farming

Specialist mainstream/intensive farmers must comply with the following legislation. This is not an exhaustive list, and legal advice should always be taken before making any business decisions.

• The Agricultural Wages (England and Wales) Order 2012 sets out minimum pay and conditions for agricultural workers in Wales and for agricultural workers in England whose contract of employment began before 1 October 2013.
• The Agricultural Wages (Scotland) Act 1949 established the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board, which sets out minimum pay and conditions for agricultural workers in Scotland.
• The Agricultural Wages (Regulation) (Northern Ireland) Order 1977 makes provision for the Agricultural Wages Board for Northern Ireland to set out minimum pay and conditions for agricultural workers in Northern Ireland.

See also: Alternative farming business ideas

• The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board Order 2008 requires farmers and growers to pay an annual levy collected by ADHB Horticulture. The amount payable depends on the extent of their business activities.
• The Animal By-Products (ABP) (Enforcement) (England) Regulations 2011 and equivalent legislation in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland require livestock farmers to ensure that animal carcasses, body parts and other by-products in need of disposal are collected by a licensed waste carrier and disposed of by an approved method.
• The Animal Feed (Composition, Marketing and Use) (England) Regulations 2015 and equivalent legislation in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland make requirements relating to feed safety, genetically modified feed, additives and contaminants in feed, and feed intended for particular nutritional purposes.
• The Animal Health Act 1981 and the Diseases of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 2010 provide a framework for the control of animal disease outbreaks, such as foot and mouth disease, swine fever and rabies.
• The Avian Influenza (Preventative Measures) (England) Regulations 2006 and equivalent legislation in Wales and Scotland require anyone who keeps 50 or more poultry to register their premises with the Great Britain Poultry Register. Legislation in Northern Ireland requires poultry flocks of any size to be registered with the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland.