Nutrient record-keeping and reporting for legislation, crop assurance and traceability

These years there is an increasing interest in systems which are capable of
recording all the activities the farmer carries out in the field. The reason for this
interest is that the farmer is increasingly facing demands for documentation on
all events from sowing to harvesting.
In several European countries environmental restrictions have been imposed on
farming, and the farmer’s recordings form part of the control measures, checking
whether his way of cultivation complies with legislation.
The records are also used to estimate the consumption of inputs which the farmer
has to send to the authorities.
The feedstuffs trade also demands documentation, showing that the products
have been produced in accordance with the agreed guidelines. Food safety is
essential. There is an increasing demand for an opportunity to trace a product
from the cold counter in the supermarket back to the primary producer. This is
called traceability and traceability also calls for recordings to be made by the
farmer.
The demands for recordings are fairly new for the farmers. The following paper
describes some of the factors that may motivate the farmers to make proper
recordings. A survey shows how farmers in Denmark, the United Kingdom and
Holland can make their records. The results of extensive analyses in Holland are
described, based on the farmers’ recordings.