- Location
- Hammerwich
Back in March, the AHDB Cereals and Oilseeds voted to stop funding Red Tractor and then chose another project to use those funds for. This was around £40k that was stripped from Red Tractor. It was stated by AHDB that this was nothing to do with the imports issue, but the timing suggests it was and the press release is a way for the pro-RT members of the AHDB Cereals board to save face (read trade members). But in total, AHDB give Red Tractor around £250k a year historically.
Now the whole £250k is on hold for the 2022-2023 budget while Red Tractor produce a 5 year report showing that the money will be used to benefit farmers and growers.
It's nice to see the AHDB starting to take Red Tractor to task and demanding more of them to keep assurance standards proportionate. Personally I'd like to see more teeth, they should have demanded that Blenky was sacked for his comments. But I've heard he is getting the boot now anyway. Maybe we will get an apology in his memoirs.
Specifically AHDB said:
I asked Red Tractor to respond. But have not to date.
Now the whole £250k is on hold for the 2022-2023 budget while Red Tractor produce a 5 year report showing that the money will be used to benefit farmers and growers.
It's nice to see the AHDB starting to take Red Tractor to task and demanding more of them to keep assurance standards proportionate. Personally I'd like to see more teeth, they should have demanded that Blenky was sacked for his comments. But I've heard he is getting the boot now anyway. Maybe we will get an apology in his memoirs.
Specifically AHDB said:
“The 2021/22 budget includes funding for Red Tractor but, in order to ensure we are providing best value to levy payers for everything we do, we have asked them to set out a five-year plan showing how that money will be used to benefit farmers and growers.
“AHDB remains fully supportive of assurance schemes, but we must be satisfied the funding we provide is spent wisely. Scrutinising our activities is good practice and is what should be expected of a levy-payer-funded organisation.”
I asked Red Tractor to respond. But have not to date.