BASIS Exciting Update! = £55 price increase

[farenheit]

Your basis membership just got better

Has anyone else had an email saying that the fee is going to go up by £55 per year?

I'm struggling to work out what last year's cost was but I think it was around £150 (basis + facts), does that make it a 30% increase?

They are trying to justify it with access to "£1000 worth" of online classroom courses (never done a single one), and a discount on Farmers Weekly subscription (never had one nor do I want one, nor will it have cost them much if anything to offer).

"I am confident that these changes represent progress not only for BASIS" - yes I can see that, thanks.

Maybe they need to look at why they need 29 staff to look after a membership of about 3000 people.

 

[Farmer Fin]

Yep. Had the same. Woop woop.

 

[Bogweevil]

Your basis membership just got better

Has anyone else had an email saying that the fee is going to go up by £55 per year?

I'm struggling to work out what last year's cost was but I think it was around £150 (basis + facts), does that make it a 30% increase?

They are trying to justify it with access to "£1000 worth" of online classroom courses (never done a single one), and a discount on Farmers Weekly subscription (never had one nor do I want one, nor will it have cost them much if anything to offer).

"I am confident that these changes represent progress not only for BASIS" - yes I can see that, thanks.

Maybe they need to look at why they need 29 staff to look after a membership of about 3000 people.

I think this might be my fault, I suggested that examiners were paid, sorry.

I do like the informative online courses though - points for old rope on wet afternoon as you struggle to get the magic 50.

I think many of the staff are there to cover the other arm of their business - BASIS Prompt - 4000+ vermin control technicians they claim and of course NROSO (20000 spray persons)

There is a board of trustees because they are a charity so they have oversight and would have approved price rises and you can take matters up with them if you get unsatisfactory answers from BASIS https://register-of-charities.chari...ity-search/-/charity-details/3099907/trustees

 

[Hampton]

I think this might be my fault, I suggested that examiners were paid, sorry.

I do like the informative online courses though - points for old rope on wet afternoon as you struggle to get the magic 50.

I think many of the staff are there to cover the other arm of their business - BASIS Prompt - 4000+ vermin control technicians they claim and of course NROSO (20000 spray persons)

There is a board of trustees because they are a charity so they have oversight and would have approved price rises and you can take matters up with them if you get unsatisfactory answers from BASIS https://register-of-charities.chari...ity-search/-/charity-details/3099907/trustees

Unless you are an agronomist cropwalking other peoples land, why do you need 50?
I just do my own land and collect 20.
If I ever decide to walk someone else’s I can inform them and increase to 50

 

[Boysground]

Unless you are an agronomist cropwalking other peoples land, why do you need 50?
I just do my own land and collect 20.
If I ever decide to walk someone else’s I can inform them and increase to 50

That’s all I do. Claimed my pesticide guide points this week

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[Bogweevil]

Unless you are an agronomist cropwalking other peoples land, why do you need 50?
I just do my own land and collect 20.
If I ever decide to walk someone else’s I can inform them and increase to 50

Now I am confused:

BASIS Professional Register

Category Total
Agriculture (inc Fertilisers) 50
Horticulture (inc Fertilisers) 50
Agriculture 40
Horticulture 40
Field Vegetables 40
Amenity 20
Fertiliser 20
Grassland & Forage Crops 20
Forestry 20
Aquatic 20
Seed 20
Floriculture 20
Potatoes 20
Indoor Landscaping 20
Mushrooms 20

 

[alomy75]

Now I am confused:

BASIS Professional Register

Category Total
Agriculture (inc Fertilisers) 50
Horticulture (inc Fertilisers) 50
Agriculture 40
Horticulture 40
Field Vegetables 40
Amenity 20
Fertiliser 20
Grassland & Forage Crops 20
Forestry 20
Aquatic 20
Seed 20
Floriculture 20
Potatoes 20
Indoor Landscaping 20
Mushrooms 20

Me too! I never knew it was 20 just for in-house agronomy?!! Thinking about it; do you actually need to be on the register to do your own agronomy? Or just be basis qualified?

 

[Hampton]

Me too! I never knew it was 20 just for in-house agronomy?!! Thinking about it; do you actually need to be on the register to do your own agronomy? Or just be basis qualified?

You need basis for farm assurance (different argument) but also I think agronomy is enough of a science that CPD is acceptable.

like I said, to do own farm you only need 20 (although speak to them first)
I’ve been on the 20 point plan for years

 

[CornishTone]

You need basis for farm assurance (different argument) but also I think agronomy is enough of a science that CPD is acceptable.

like I said, to do own farm you only need 20 (although speak to them first)
I’ve been on the 20 point plan for years

Well, I never knew that!
50 points is tricky to get to for a one-man-band without an HR department looking after your registration for you.

 

[Wombat]

Think its is the difference between farmer member and full member or whatever they call it.

 

[Boysground]

I’ve also been a farmer member for years. I still use an independent agronomist as i don’t have the time to keep up with everything but like to keep BASIS/FACTS up to date.

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[farenheit]

Was there a consultation with members about this? I can understand an inflationary rise, but this seems pretty unfair given that, as a register, members are obligated to be on it whether they want to be or not (like Red Tractor!)

 

[robs1]

You need basis for farm assurance (different argument) but also I think agronomy is enough of a science that CPD is acceptable.

like I said, to do own farm you only need 20 (although speak to them first)
I’ve been on the 20 point plan for years

Not sure you need basis for farm assurance, I've been doing all my own for seven years without problems, I was a niab member though so do have access to "professional" advice. Binned RT so free of all this sh!t now

 

[Brisel]

Unless you are an agronomist cropwalking other peoples land, why do you need 50?
I just do my own land and collect 20.
If I ever decide to walk someone else’s I can inform them and increase to 50

Every day is a school day. I've been getting my 50 points for 16 years since I did both BASIS and FACTS.

I do use the online courses occasionally when I'm chasing the last few points or want to learn something more though mostly they are a sales pitch for whatever product that manufacturer who wrote it is flogging at the time.

 

[Rob Holmes]

Would i still need the full 50 if you fieldwalk ground which i contract farm?
I’m suspecting i do

 

[Northern territory]

Never that impressed with BASIS full stop really. Sometimes the points from meetings never get registered so end up chasing them. Also they can be pretty stingy with points.

 

[Clive]

Your basis membership just got better

Has anyone else had an email saying that the fee is going to go up by £55 per year?

I'm struggling to work out what last year's cost was but I think it was around £150 (basis + facts), does that make it a 30% increase?

They are trying to justify it with access to "£1000 worth" of online classroom courses (never done a single one), and a discount on Farmers Weekly subscription (never had one nor do I want one, nor will it have cost them much if anything to offer).

"I am confident that these changes represent progress not only for BASIS" - yes I can see that, thanks.

Maybe they need to look at why they need 29 staff to look after a membership of about 3000 people.

what on earth are 29 staff doing ? that’s crazy

 

[Hindsight]

what on earth are 29 staff doing ? that’s crazy

Member Bogweevil explained on the other thread running which has referred to the price increase.

 

[farenheit]

Member Bogweevil explained on the other thread running which has referred to the price increase.

So they've taken on a huge amount of extra work (running nroso) and this efficiency of scale is rewarded with a one third price increase. Basis members may be inclined to think that nroso hasn't been a good business move for the organisation.

Another aspect is that, by making basis classroom free, they've essentially removed a lot of the incentive for people to attend many technical events, if they can get their points up online without cost. So organisations that put on these events are going to lose out.

 

[Brisel]

Would i still need the full 50 if you fieldwalk ground which i contract farm?
I’m suspecting i do

Who gets sued if it goes wrong? That's ultimately the backstop and proving you have sufficient training and CPD in court is key.

I still have my professional agronomist on RT paperwork, not that it makes any difference. If I stuff up a rec I wrote myself my agronomist is quite rightly going to be ok.