AHDB put all Red Tractor funding on hold

Chris F

Staff Member
Media
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:

“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.
 
Good. AHDB should not be funding Red Tractor and should never have funded Red Tractor. Its ridiculous.

Why? RT is a monotheistic private company with a monopoly stranglehold. RT exist to furnish themselves and their brand, they do not help deliver anything to those that fund them (ie farmers).

Don't kid yourself that supermarkets are all wanting Red Tractor - they are not (evidenced by Sainsburys) and they are not delivering a premium - they do not even have a mechanism to deliver any premiums to its "members" - when did RT last ask for your bank details so they could pay you the premium they have gained from the marketplace?

Wrong, wrong, wrong
 

Chris F

Staff Member
Media
Location
Hammerwich
Good. AHDB should not be funding Red Tractor and should never have funded Red Tractor. Its ridiculous.

Why? RT is a monotheistic private company with a monopoly stranglehold. RT exist to furnish themselves and their brand, they do not help deliver anything to those that fund them (ie farmers).

Don't kid yourself that supermarkets are all wanting Red Tractor - they are not (evidenced by Sainsburys) and they are not delivering a premium - they do not even have a mechanism to deliver any premiums to its "members" - when did RT last ask for your bank details so they could pay you the premium they have gained from the marketplace?

Wrong, wrong, wrong

I don't think we will see AHDB stopping funding RT personally. Unless someone wants to make a statement at AHDB. That said, as a private company RT should be able to stand on its own two feed. Which I have been told it can.
 

teslacoils

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lincolnshire
No, the levy boards' days are numbered and they know it. Very little value added; a recommended list that's seemingly strongly weighted around commercial pressures; and scant new "research".

Horticulture and spuds first, cereals next. Another decent idea that degraded into a circle-jerk dining club. And one that's best consigned to the dustbin.
 

Drillman

Member
Mixed Farmer
And the result of the red tractor report will be that they need the money to build there brand I would think.

For clarity the red tractor brand has no value to farmers as it’s not giving us a return for the costs being a red tractor member incur.

the day red tractor send me a cheque or ask for bank details so they can at me a premium is the day when I will support them in there efforts.
 
Doubt it. The NFU, AIC, RT and AHDB all conclude against U.K. farmers behinds the scenes. It’s totally corrupt and a Panorama special looms ….

Its definitely corrupt. What feels worse is the total intransigence and contempt farmers who complain about it are held in.

Ignoring Blenky who deserves the boot for being so rude, look at the position Guy Smith is in now. Directly pitted against farmers interests and batting for a private company and funded to do so. Its just a ridiculous situation.

Now diametrically against the very people who got him close to that position in the first place, by voting for him in the NFU to represent farmers interests. Its a very odd way to repay people. Minette Batters could well be the same when she leaves the NFU, batting for corporate interests - they are actively working against the interests of UK farmers. Where is the moral compass? I don't get it
 
No, the levy boards' days are numbered and they know it. Very little value added; a recommended list that's seemingly strongly weighted around commercial pressures; and scant new "research".

Horticulture and spuds first, cereals next. Another decent idea that degraded into a circle-jerk dining club. And one that's best consigned to the dustbin.

I'm pretty much inclined to agree
 

Jackov Altraids

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Devon
I understand that there may be a new body set up to promote British food internationally to increase exports. As this is currently AHDB's remit, does it show that they are not expected to be around for much longer?......

I think that would be a shame as this thread demonstrates that AHDB are not as intransigent as RT, NFU and the current government.
 

tepapa

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
North Wales
Since horticulture levy was disbanded and potatoes as well I think. That only leaves cereals and livestock to fund the RT budget, at the least you'd expect it to be reduced by the fact that two sectors are no longer funding AHDB.
 

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

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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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