Farmers Weekly: Growers Call For New Grain Assurance Standard

Grass And Grain

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Yorks
About time too. Open up assurance to some competition.👍
Yes, competition.

It's something RT has been lacking, and why they are complacent, and haven't worked hard enough to produce a price premium for growers.

This makes RT innovate and try to be better at what they do.

It gives farmers choice.

It gives mills choice.

It will create a system which is market led, and premium led. Imagine that!
 
It’s all on companies house. Below taken from elsewhere and is just a copy.

AIC is similar to RT in that it is a Ltd company without shareholders and acts as the holding company for AIC services Ltd that operates the assurance schemes and membership. AIC has 14 directors which change regularly so you assume are elected positions. AIC services has 6 directors, which change less often so again assume are permanent management positions. Some have positions on both boards, again assume this is for supervision by the holding company.

What has shocked me the most is the breadth of our supply chain that the AIC has its tentacles in via directorships. I guess it's no surprise really that Fert suppliers, chemical suppliers, feed mills, etc would be among them, but also what I thought were farmer co-ops and the BSPB.

I have listed below the directors of both the AIC companies and each directors affiliation through either shared directorships or implied by correspondence address.

Agricultural Industries Confederation Ltd. https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/00316783/officers

SHEASBY, Robert Charles

Secretary of AIC and AIC services.

BARRON, Robin Mcintyre Scott

General manager AIC

BELL, Samantha Emma

Commercial director AIC.
Head of sales and marketing AIC services
CF fertilisers given as correspondence address on AIC services listing.

BILLINGTON, Declan George

Holds a total of 21 directorships, mostly in NI covering a range of animal feed and agricultural production. Also a couple of other trade associations.
https://find-and-update.company-inf...cers/Anc_NNbvViiJYYg7SRXItN9b1yg/appointments

BOOTH, Angela Margaret

Correspondence address implies a link to AB Agri - British Sugar, Trident feeds, ABN.

CHRISTENSEN, Simon Paul

Directorships with Fengrain, Southampton Grain terminal and Hemswell Farmers.
Correspondence address given as Frontier Agriculture Ltd.

CLAYTON, Christopher

Directorships with Sentry and Agronomy Connection
Correspondence address given as Agrovista UK

DALTON, Matthew John

Among others, a directorship with JE & VM Dalton Ltd - Dalmark

GUEST, Christopher Michael

Correspondence address given as Gleadell Agriculture

MAJOR, Nicholas Charles

Directorships with CIELivestock and ForFarmers UK

MCSHANE, Andrew

Directorships with Hutchinsons, Chemical and Agricultural Services and Cropstar Ltd (c/o Procam UK)

NEWBY, Andrew David

Directorships with KWS, Twyford Seeds, CPB Twyford, Huntseeds and The BSPB.

RICHARDSON, Andrew Mark

Directorships with the William Thompson Group (Thompson Feeds, Jubilee Milling)

WORRELL, Mark John

Directorships with Openfield and Hemswell Farmers



Agricultural Industries Confederation Services Ltd. https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/04925061


SHEASBY, Robert Charles

Secretary of AIC and AIC services.

BATTLE, Charles Richard

Directorship with FG Battle and Sons (Farmers? near Lincoln?)

BELL, Samantha Emma

Commercial director AIC.
Head of sales and marketing AIC services
CF fertilisers given as correspondence address on AIC services listing.

KELLEY, John Michael Walton

Directorship with the Trade Association Forum (what the hell could that be?)

RICHARDSON, Andrew James

Correspondence address implies a link to Volac

RYLAND, Mark John

Directorships with MDM driver training and Mark Ryland Associates.


Interesting also is looking at the list of resigned directors we see people who have been representing NIAB, The VI, Testing services, BASIS and so much more. This is basically an organisation made up of our Customers, Suppliers, Advisors, Regulators and Marketing Organisations. Is it any wonder that Farming is such hard work and near impossible to scrape a profit?

We are in the middle of a scandalous conspiracy built to work against us. Except this isn't a conspiracy theory. It's the TRUTH.

If any of you recognise any of the names above or know them, I suggest some strong words are dealt.
 

Steevo

Member
Location
Gloucestershire
So in the meantime are YOU going to review doing business with any of the associated companies then?
In no particular order, the likes of - Frontier, ADM/Gleadell, KWS, AB Agri, Openfield, and Agrovista?

Doesn't leave many people left after that lot....

Cofco?

I find it interesting that Openfield are on that list bearing in mind they claim to be a farmer owned co-operative.
 

Grass And Grain

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Yorks
So in the meantime are YOU going to review doing business with any of the associated companies then?
In no particular order, the likes of - Frontier, ADM/Gleadell, KWS, AB Agri, Openfield, and Agrovista?
No, I'm not.

Why support grain traders and mills who don't support us. They need to realise who their customers are (UK farmers).

Why would any farmer support a mill or trader that elects to purchase imports under Standard A, but asks UK farmers to supply under Standard A+++.

With the +++ costing the UK farmer cash.

If I were these companies, I'd be on to AIC to repair the damage.
 

Steevo

Member
Location
Gloucestershire
Gosh. Openfield, farmer owned, but if that info is correct, have a director of AIC, and AIC (Services) make market access for Openfield's farmer owners more difficult to grain mills.

It's unbelievable.

According to a poll I ran six months back on here - 25% of the people who responded sold through Openfield.

That's a surprising number of people who "in theory" should have control over their farmer owned co-operative to address such issues.

Sadly I get the feeling they are probably about as accountable to their members as the NFU are to theirs.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 79 42.9%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 63 34.2%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 30 16.3%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 6 3.3%

Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

  • 1,287
  • 1
As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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