Andrew Blenkiron

SilliamWhale said:

Basically Blenkiron/ Batters/ Smith/ Bradshaw are acting out a sort of clerisy whereby they are presuming to know what is best for farmers without actually wanting to listen to them, or only listening to the ones they want to hear. The double standards being promoted are absolutely alarming,if not terrifying for the future.

The idea that those who do not want representation by the NFU (and are disgusted by them sitting on their hands about Red Tractor corruption) are somehow riding on the coat tails of them is a typical view.

Its very top down, heavily influenced by those they see as their peers now - the corporate agricultural world and the trade organisations.

I recently read Guy Smiths book about the history of the NFU which is fascinating. I'd have though every former leader would be thoroughly disgusted at the way the modern union has allowed them to be prostrated by Red Tractors tentacles. I know I am and a lot of others are.

Click to expand...

Further to this we now have a situation where no-one can sell a grain of oilseed rape unless they have payed tithes to the marketplaces' private gaslighter otherwise known as Red Tractor - for no added value.

The situation is very fast becoming the same in the cereals sector with avenues continually being closed. This loss of independent grain trading ability to alarm the hell out of all farmers. Look at potential future scenarios - you can't trade unless you have done the Red Tractor Carbon audit, or you can't trade if you have gone over your allotted c02 restrictions etc etc.

What is worse the farmers union aiding and abetting this, have a wedding planner as the figurehead who doesn't actually want to listen to farmers and spouts crap about net zero with no compunction about the costs of it and no consultation about it.

We must continue to push back very hard against all this because 1. it won't end here 2. you may find soon unless you comply you can't trade (and we are not talking about regulatory bodies here, we are talking about private industry)

SilliamWhale said:

Further to this we now have a situation where no-one can sell a grain of oilseed rape unless they have payed tithes to the marketplaces' private gaslighter otherwise known as Red Tractor - for no added value.

The situation is very fast becoming the same in the cereals sector with avenues continually being closed. This loss of independent grain trading ability to alarm the hell out of all farmers. Look at potential future scenarios - you can't trade unless you have done the Red Tractor Carbon audit, or you can't trade if you have gone over your allotted c02 restrictions etc etc.

What is worse the farmers union aiding and abetting this, have a wedding planner as the figurehead who doesn't actually want to listen to farmers and spouts crap about net zero with no compunction about the costs of it and no consultation about it.

We must continue to push back very hard against all this because 1. it won't end here 2. you may find soon unless you comply you can't trade (and we are not talking about regulatory bodies here, we are talking about private industry)

Click to expand...

It’s disgraceful the NFU have allowed private industry to dictate to us all. They are at the centre of the collusion and corruption.

Page 45... he must be a giant troll??? Or are moderators of TFF trolls?? Give it a break and yes i think that RT and AHDB and the whole system stinks too... lets just march on Parliment.. when the TFF moderators are ready.. i'm sure he will u turn at that point... only comment.. and point made.. love you guys

warksfarmer said:

It’s disgraceful the NFU have allowed private industry to dictate to us all. They are at the centre of the collusion and corruption.

Click to expand...

No Fing Use... we all know that...

SilliamWhale said:

Further to this we now have a situation where no-one can sell a grain of oilseed rape unless they have payed tithes to the marketplaces' private gaslighter otherwise known as Red Tractor - for no added value.

The situation is very fast becoming the same in the cereals sector with avenues continually being closed. This loss of independent grain trading ability to alarm the hell out of all farmers. Look at potential future scenarios - you can't trade unless you have done the Red Tractor Carbon audit, or you can't trade if you have gone over your allotted c02 restrictions etc etc.

What is worse the farmers union aiding and abetting this, have a wedding planner as the figurehead who doesn't actually want to listen to farmers and spouts crap about net zero with no compunction about the costs of it and no consultation about it.

We must continue to push back very hard against all this because 1. it won't end here 2. you may find soon unless you comply you can't trade (and we are not talking about regulatory bodies here, we are talking about private industry)

Click to expand...

Good luck

ajd132 said:

His farmers weekly article is a ludicrous juxtaposition.

Click to expand...

Its just a personal view.. we all have one.. who cares.. he is not relievant.. just a lamb to the slaughter...

Humble Village Farmer said:

How many votes do Sainsbury's get?

Click to expand...

None

Who cares about supermarkets and their brands.

And the bozo is back again. He really is the thickest farmer in the U.K or he’s out to ruin every single farmer because he’s got a cosy job lined up that is to do with rewilding land farmers can no longer afford to farm.

There’s a nationwide WhatsApp group now pushing that if you see this blithering idiot at things like cereals or lamma, turn your back on him when he walks past. I’m afraid to say this is probably right.

warksfarmer said:

There’s a nationwide WhatsApp group now pushing that if you see this blithering idiot at things like cereals or lamma, turn your back on him when he walks past. I’m afraid to say this is probably right.

Click to expand...

Add me please.

He seems a complete penis and needs deplatforming.

warksfarmer said:

And the bozo is back again. He really is the thickest farmer in the U.K or he’s out to ruin every single farmer because he’s got a cosy job lined up that is to do with rewilding land farmers can no longer afford to farm.

There’s a nationwide WhatsApp group now pushing that if you see this blithering idiot at things like cereals or lamma, turn your back on him when he walks past. I’m afraid to say this is probably right.

Farmer Focus: Hours filling out forms is worth the cash - Farmers Weekly

It’s all been about forms lately. First, a Countryside Stewardship (CSS) Higher Tier (HT) application completed before the end of April. Then the obvious

www.fwi.co.uk

Click to expand...

What’s the betting he has minions to fill in the form for him along with his RT temp records

Steevo said:

View attachment 942776View attachment 942777View attachment 942778

Click to expand...

Not sure I envy Red tractor as an Aussie?

I disagree with most of the above.

"the envy of farmers from around the world"
Nonsense, no other farmers would want RT.

"We all want premium prices for our products" "But does our market agree". No it doesn't agree, because there's no premium vs imports, just a penalty if not assured.

"Almost every other trade in the country has to prove that they are competent and safe" Andrew sites electricians, that's the law! Farmers also have to pass inspections related to the law. Trading standards check our HACCP grain drying and storage protocols. EA check NVZ compliance. H&S Executive, RPA or trading standards check our pesticide stores and records.

"Producing to these standards does indeed give us an edge to be able to compete against imports of inferior quality" Imports seem to flood in without any farm assurance, we need them, I imagine they're perfectly safe, NFU and people like Andrew Blenkiron just think it's a good idea to saddle British producers with extra RT costs and hoops - costing our industry about £20 million/annum. Suppose you would sing the praises of RT if you're on the payroll.

And in addition to the above points, AIC allow imports with one set of lab tests per boat load. Ok, fine. Can we take a sample from a few hundred UK farms, total 60,000 tonnes, mix all those samples up together, take one sub-sample, send it off to the lab, pass the lab test then send our grain as assured?
Answer from AIC = "No you can't"
"Why?" AIC can't answer that question.

Edit.
If Andrew can get us a genuine price premium, then fine.

If Andrew can get all mills to pledge they aren't going to purchase imports, the fine.

If Andrew can also get us the lab test method (or similar system for UK grain which is economic for a 29t load), then fine.

If none of the above are achievable, then please don't preach to us all to be RT assured, as it is simply an extra cost for no benefit.

If RT board members had worked hard over last few years to get is a genuine price premium, there would be happier farmers. I've seen absolutely no work in this respect. Borda Bia have negotiated a price premium for Irish farmers who comply with the Borda Bia assurance scheme. RT?
All RT seem to have done over past 2 decades is work to cut off our markets unless we pay up to RT. They've been self serving. That's why 95% of farmers seem to dislike RT.

A weak farmers Union has let this situation run. They could organise the farmers to club together and make a stand, but they haven't. They've let us be saddled with extra costs, whilst knowing imports access our markets without any of the FA costs. I think that's poor.

Get us a premium, or better market access, then it would be fine. But we haven't got either of those. Just extra costs to access same markets as imports, yet NFU back RT. Come on NFU, sort it out.

Grass And Grain said:

View attachment 1038372

View attachment 1038373

View attachment 1038374

I disagree with most of the above.

"the envy of farmers from around the world"
Nonsense, no other farmers would want RT.

"We all want premium prices for our products" "But does our market agree". No it doesn't agree, because there's no premium vs imports, just a penalty if not assured.

"Almost every other trade in the country has to prove that they are competent and safe" Andrew sites electricians, that's the law! Farmers also have to pass inspections related to the law. Trading standards check our HACCP grain drying and storage protocols. EA check NVZ compliance. H&S Executive, RPA or trading standards check our pesticide stores and records.

"Producing to these standards does indeed give us an edge to be able to compete against imports of inferior quality" Imports seem to flood in without any farm assurance, we need them, I imagine they're perfectly safe, NFU and people like Andrew Blenkiron just think it's a good idea to saddle British producers with extra RT costs and hoops - costing our industry about £20 million/annum. Suppose you would sing the praises of RT if you're on the payroll.

And in addition to the above points, AIC allow imports with one set of lab tests per boat load. Ok, fine. Can we take a sample from a few hundred UK farms, total 60,000 tonnes, mix all those samples up together, take one sub-sample, send it off to the lab, pass the lab test then send our grain as assured?
Answer from AIC = "No you can't"
"Why?" AIC can't answer that question.

Edit.
If Andrew can get us a genuine price premium, then fine.

If Andrew can get all mills to pledge they aren't going to purchase imports, the fine.

If Andrew can also get us the lab test method (or similar system for UK grain which is economic for a 29t load), then fine.

If none of the above are achievable, then please don't preach to us all to be RT assured, as it is simply an extra cost for no benefit.

If RT board members had worked hard over last few years to get is a genuine price premium, there would be happier farmers. I've seen absolutely no work in this respect. Borda Bia have negotiated a price premium for Irish farmers who comply with the Borda Bia assurance scheme. RT?
All RT seem to have done over past 2 decades is work to cut off our markets unless we pay up to RT. They've been self serving. That's why 95% of farmers seem to dislike RT.

A weak farmers Union has let this situation run. They could organise the farmers to club together and make a stand, but they haven't. They've let us be saddled with extra costs, whilst knowing imports access our markets without any of the FA costs. I think that's poor.

Get us a premium, or better market access, then it would be fine. But we haven't got either of those. Just extra costs to access same markets as imports, yet NFU back RT. Come on NFU, sort it out.

Click to expand...

I thought AHDB were going to look into the unfairness of unassured imported grain being allowed into UK mills whilst non assured UK wheat isn't ? Are you still in correspondence with them ? It's a pity,after all your hard work,that they have chosen to fob you off and have done precisely nothing.

I'm no fan of RT or AB, but punching him in the face as suggested earlier or turning your back, which he would probably not even notice, is not exactly productive. Why not go up to the man and have a discussion? Are you scared of him? or are you only able to moan from behind a keyboard?
I respect many views on this forum, but its not really helping your argument getting violent or just turning your backs. If you think 'Blenky is Blinkered' then widen his view and open his eyes.

texelburger said:

I thought AHDB were going to look into the unfairness of unassured imported grain being allowed into UK mills whilst non assured UK wheat isn't ? Are you still in correspondence with them ? It's a pity,after all your hard work,that they have chosen to fob you off and have done precisely nothing.

Click to expand...

Spoke to them about 4 weeks ago, they wouldn't really say too much, other than AIC and RT were dragging their feet for as long as they could.

IMT rushed off my feet atm on the farm, but I'm getting back into letter writing mode.

Up to the members, but on the combinable crops side, I'd propose BFU should press for some change, and if they won't then BFU organise a new scheme to bring FA control back to the farmers.

snarling bee said:

I'm no fan of RT or AB, but punching him in the face as suggested earlier or turning your back, which he would probably not even notice, is not exactly productive. Why not go up to the man and have a discussion? Are you scared of him? or are you only able to moan from behind a keyboard?
I respect many views on this forum, but its not really helping your argument getting violent or just turning your backs. If you think 'Blenky is Blinkered' then open his eyes.

Click to expand...

That's a sensible approach. We should all be asking the current RT board members what they're doing about developing a price premium, and what positive steps are they taking to have some sort of equality of standards for access to mills. That could be a RT 'Light' scheme, or RT asking mills to pledge they'll only take imports if they're farm assured. So work hard to get either equality or a price premium.

Farmers hate RT, and that's a poor situation. RT seem to have really only been self serving. Their lack of love from farmers is giving them a hard time. They could work to fix that. In the cereals sector it could be as simple as introducing RT 'Light'. I guess they're afraid the whole industry will shun full fat RT, then they'd have been shown to have been wrong for all these years with their ott standards.

Sounds like an audition for ride on the gravy train. What a pr*ck

Grass And Grain said:

That's a sensible approach. We should all be asking the current RT board members what they're doing about developing a price premium, and what positive steps are they taking to have some sort of equality of standards for access to mills. That could be a RT 'Light' scheme, or RT asking mills to pledge they'll only take imports if they're farm assured. So work hard to get either equality or a price premium.

Farmers hate RT, and that's a poor situation. RT seem to have really only been self serving. Their lack of love from farmers is giving them a hard time. They could work to fix that. In the cereals sector it could be as simple as introducing RT 'Light'. I guess they're afraid the whole industry will shun full fat RT, then they'd have been shown to have been wrong for all these years with their ott standards.

Click to expand...

You're missing the point and it's just what "they" want.

It's not up to the dead tractor to get us a premium, but there should be one, after all it costs us money and is supposed to denote a superior product. The premium should come from the buyer. So if they insist on it, it's in no way unreasonable that it should be paid for.

The fact that these buyers think they can have it for nothing is an indication of how the trade have learnt to feed off the industry, leaving us with all the work, the risk and the investment.

Join the Bfu and get a better deal for farmers.