BASIS Professional Register year ends on May 31

BASIS Professional Register members are being reminded that there are just a few weeks left until the end of the points year.

According to BASIS Professional Registers and accounts manager, Michele Williams, members must collect a specified number of BASIS Continued Professional Development (CPD) points by May 31 to maintain their Professional Register status.

"There are numerous ways in which BASIS members can top-up their points before the deadline, including visiting exhibitions, conferences, trial sites and technical seminars," she said.

"A maximum of eight points per year can also be collected from reading a wide range of technical industry publications and newsletters, including the Pitchcare magazine."

The number of points an individual member must accrue depends on their qualification and category of membership. For example:

• Certificate in Crop Protection (agriculture, vegetables or horticulture) - 40 points
• Certificate in Crop Protection (agriculture, vegetables or horticulture) with FACTS Certificate - 50 points
• FACTS Certificate only - 20 points
• Certificate in Crop Protection (amenity horticulture) - 20 points
• Certificate in Crop Protection (amenity horticulture) with FACTS Certificate - 30 points.

"We've currently got 5,591 members, with over 200,000 CPD points to be collected during the year, and encouragingly, over three quarters of these have already been allocated. But there are still plenty of opportunities to meet your quota before the end of May," she added.

Stephen Jacob, BASIS CEO, reiterates the importance of CPD, explaining that it is essential for agronomists and advisers to stay ahead of the curve in rapidly developing industries.

"Over the past few years, we've seen agronomy step up a gear, and with the uncertainty around Brexit, and tightening regulations, this is expected to continue," he said.

"New technology, restrictions and stewardship guidelines are being introduced all the time, so it's essential that those providing advice remain up-to-date, and collecting BASIS CPD points will help to do so. This will allow consultants to deliver the latest information."

Members can access their training record on the BASIS website, or via the BASIS app at www.basis-app.co.uk, to find out how many more points they need to collect.