Revised code to be released before harvest
Revised code to be released before harvest
12 September 2008
published by www.abc.net.au
Australia — The Country Fire Service (CFS) is assuring South Australian farmers that the SA Farmers Federation’s revised harvest code of practice will be approved and distributed in time for harvest this year.
The Mallee Fire Prevention Committee expressed its concern to the local council that the revised document would not be approved in time for harvest, in less than two months.
The acting manager of bushfire safety with the CFS, Terry Hassam, has been reviewing the code, which will be a generic guide for all farmers.
He says farmers will have it in October so they know when to stop harvesting in accordance with the fire danger index (FDI).
“If it’s an FDI of 20 and below we consider it to be relatively safe to go harvesting, we’ve worked out a compromise with an FDI of 35, where it’s still relatively safe and if a fire does escape then the person doing the harvesting has the equipment to be able to put that fire out,” he said.
