tullah
Member
- Location
- Linconshire
But that's irrelevant to what's under discussion. Nobody is saying the price of N is anything to do with the non farming union. What's being said is we are being sold out by those who purport to represent us.
Concerned about Red Tractor collapse.
- Thread starter traineefarmer
- Start date
- Location
- Bedfordshire
Its hard to believe that in our farming union, the majority of members are not farmers, how on earth and why did the NFU allow that to happen? Total Disgrace.
Blah blah blah, needed to increase membership, waffle waffle blah.
A year or two and i think it will be came over for the NFU (farming wise) you can keep the tree huggers and bunny kissers.
- Location
- Bedfordshire
In all the time I have been involved I have NEVER heard anyone at NFU talk about countryside or any other form of membership other than a number of members which might get mentioned once a year. We ALWAYS only debate/talk about how policy affects farming and agriculture, nothing else. There is not a single representative on Council from any other membership class other than full farming member that I am aware of.
But some seem to think that the NFU invent the rules that everybody detests. NFU is not Government. The NFU tries to change the rules if it can and influence those that make the rules as much as possible.
No doubt you are on first name terms with your MP who does exactly as you wish in every vote concerning farming and the countryside.
This is my final post on this thread.
Do you believe everything you read on this forum?? Ring me if you wish.
- Location
- Lincolnshire
If the NFU came out of a meeting and just once said “We refused to do that,” then I’d rejoin tomorrow. Never happens though does it? They come out of a meeting and they say we agreed to everything they asked for and offered to do a bit more. Net zero by 2040, every single issue a sell out. Always trying to ingratiate themselves.
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
Option 2 is ideal. We're going to do our best. We don't yet know what we'll achieve, or exactly how long it will take.
It's taken us 10 months to get into a position to liaise with AIC, but the result of that 10 months is...
RT saying they think grain should not have to be RT farm level audited assured to access a feed mill.
AHDB withdrawing £250k funding to RT and AHDB giving RT a right good public bloody nose. It's quite a strong statement from AHDB, particularly as AHDB have given RT a couple of million+ £££ over recent years. See below link and quote...
AHDB's position on Red Tractor - an update | AHDB
Making clear our position regarding annual funding provided to Red Tractor.ahdb.org.uk
"We have written to Red Tractor, following feedback from levy payers on our sector councils who raised a number of points which match views being expressed from some of the wider industry, including:
- A perceived lack of clarity and understanding by consumers, some stakeholders, levy payers and the industry of the role of Red Tractor and whether it is a robust baseline assurance scheme or a marketing opportunity to achieve a premium, or both, and if both, whether that is possible without multiple levels of standards?
- Strong and widespread support for a baseline assurance scheme but concerns about the effectiveness of the current assurance process, the relevance and value of some of the existing standards and a perception that there is some inconsistency in their application.
- Conflicting views on whether the marketing of Red Tractor is effective in defending the market and/or achieving a premium?
- A desire to have a baseline that is the same as imported products and for higher standards over that baseline to be rewarded with a premium. There is concern that some producers are forced to operate at higher standards than needed for the markets they serve and are getting no premium for doing so."
Absolutely. You are all to be commended for what you have achieved thus far.
I doubt it will have much effect on farm assurance for other sectors, and RT will be circling the wagons to at least protect that farce, but if it only stops the mission creep there it will have achieved something. The RT requirements for beef & lamb are just as unnecessary, but are at least less onerous than the runaway train that combinables has become.
- Location
- Lincolnshire
Tell me of one thing the NFU batted off? Maybe there are things we don’t hear about. I’m all ears. If the NFU has won concessions or victories in negotiations then it would boost morale surely?
- Location
- Lincolnshire
Precisely.
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
That's being sorted by DEFRA, according to Useless, after extensive NFU lobbying. The Autumn spreading ban is supposedly down to EA gold plating EU legislation (Waters Directive?), as UK civil servants always have, which was passed into UK law along with everything else.
- Location
- Essex
Fair play to you for engaging on here, particularly in view of the absence of any official defence of your union's policies and the constant criticism which they attract; justified criticism in my view.
Despite claims, the nfu clearly have no influence with government, judging by the trade deals recently announced and various other failed attempts to influence policy.
Their involvement in the red tractor debacle is definitely against nearly every farmer's best interest, no matter how many times it's claimed to the contrary.
They allow non farming members to drive farming policy instead of restricting membership to genuine farmers.
Their closeness to other organisations whose role is to profit from farmers is questionable.
Considering the above, I think they do more harm than good for the grass roots industry.
They own the red tractor who only publish very vague and scant accounts which appear designed to confuse or obscure.
- Location
- Lincolnshire
Extensive NFU lobbying? Glad to hear about that actually.
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
They are currently trying to educate the DEFRA 'Animal Welfare Taskforce' as to how ridiculous some of their (or rather Goldsmith's) hare brained ideas are.
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- Location
- Bedfordshire
Well you can't have been listening then. Its been a huge issue that many have been involved in, including me. But the EA will not even agree to a meeting atm. Perhaps they will meet warksfarmer and Dr Wazzock and all will be well.
Red diesel.
- Location
- Lincolnshire
At what point would some sort of militancy in terms of non cooperation be considered? Or is that completely off the table?
- Location
- Essex
hare brained please
- Location
- Bedfordshire
Certainly do not believe everything I read on here.
One question, if the NFU are onside, why oh why isnt Minette on the six oclock news shouting form the roof tops about the import problem and how OUR home produced, gold plated product is routinely mixed with a untraceable product treated with pesticides long since banned in the UK?
Have a great Christmas and speak soon, you are also welcome to call me at anytime.
- Location
- Lincolnshire
It always occurs to me that as an industry we could bring the government to its knees if we were so inclined not by breaking any law but by withholding supplies or refusing to take sewage sludge etc. But every time we just seem to accept whatever rubbish is thrown at us. It’s poor in my view. We look weak and stupid.
- Location
- Yorks
Probably harder to get any change in the RT livestock sectors than in combinables. Combinables should be easy to get change due to the clear double standards!Absolutely. You are all to be commended for what you have achieved thus far.
I doubt it will have much effect on farm assurance for other sectors, and RT will be circling the wagons to at least protect that farce, but if it only stops the mission creep there it will have achieved something. The RT requirements for beef & lamb are just as unnecessary, but are at least less onerous than the runaway train that combinables has become.
As far as livestock go, the vet herd health plan (annual???) seems the most unnecessarily burdensome?
- Location
- Yorks
NFU lobby on all sorts. No problem, all good. Obvs they can't be all things to all men, but do OK.
But on this RT unlevel playing field issue, they've avoided it like the plague. Only getting involved because we've kicked up a stink. Still no mention of it at all in NFU emails. They just don't want to get involved of they can help it, as it goes against what they've always supported - RT. Tom Bradshaw seems to be only one who's done anything.
NFU seem to have previously made no attempt to bring fairness to imports vs RT standards. They supported RT for cereals knowing full well it was adding cost to UK producers and then gets blended with lower standard imports. What sort of a farming union could think that was a good idea.
But on this RT unlevel playing field issue, they've avoided it like the plague. Only getting involved because we've kicked up a stink. Still no mention of it at all in NFU emails. They just don't want to get involved of they can help it, as it goes against what they've always supported - RT. Tom Bradshaw seems to be only one who's done anything.
NFU seem to have previously made no attempt to bring fairness to imports vs RT standards. They supported RT for cereals knowing full well it was adding cost to UK producers and then gets blended with lower standard imports. What sort of a farming union could think that was a good idea.
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
A herd/flock health plan is actually quite a sensible idea, and was only ever a case of writing out what you do and why. The process of doing that just shows that you have thought about it, which one would hope most livestock farmers would do as a matter of course, even if they don't put it on paper. In reality it rarely chnages from year to year, so was just a case of signing & dating annually to say so.
The only really contentious part was when RT started insisting a vet should prepare it, adding a cost of £170 or so, when the vet ultimately writes the same thing out as I dictate it to him.
It's tosh, just not particularly onerous tosh at the moment.