AHDB put all Red Tractor funding on hold

Grass And Grain

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Yorks
Wow! AHDB are guarantors in the ownership structure of RT, but even one if their owners don't think RT is currently worthy of ANY funding. Made my day.

I can't really see how RT need any funding from AHDB. What was it, £250k ish?

Cereals voted to stop the RT funding a few months back, this time it's ALL the funding. What does that mean? Not a decision taken sector by sector, as it's been a blanket decision, so a broader decision taken from the top?

VERY, VERY embarrassing for RT (and NFU). The wonderful RT brand that's desperately important to UK ag, yet our AHDB have put a stop on their funding unless RT come up with a credible spend of levy payers cash. Well done AHDB, they've listened to us farmers, and acted. RT obviously not considered a good use of cash. Wonder how RT press office is going to try to spin its way out of this one!

RT is slowly crumbling, and so it should - at least in the cereals sector, where it gives us nothing but higher costs and double standards.

Given that some levy payers are not RT assured, and RT have worked to cut off markets for those levy payers, I hope AHDB see sense and never give RT any more of OUR MONEY. Most farmers I talk to (to be fair, not everyone) dislike RT.
 

Grass And Grain

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Yorks
...and NFU are one of the other backers/ guarantors/ owners of RT...and our levy board don't think RT is currently a good spend of any of our marketing budget.

Not only this, but I was told yesterday that 50% of the SAI Global RT assessors failed their exams, and moral of assessors is really low. The assessors are sick of getting it in the ear from farmers who are forced into being "members".

Assessors are just doing their jobs. The one I spoke to said they sometimes/often have to speak to a colleague to offload their troubles when they've had a bad day and grief from farmers. Now we should be polite, not assessors fault, but what a state of affairs.

Are RT going to listen and take heed of these clear industry signs and rumblings? I fear they won't, but surely anyone with even an ounce of sense would remove their head from the sand and make some changes before their whole business implodes.

Are the people currently in charge nimble and smart enough to stop the rot, drag RT out of its unpopular model, and evolve it into something fit for purpose that offers genuine premiums for the work done, and create something loved by farmers. So far they've failed imho.

Edit. Most of the proposed ned standards were binned, which was good news. That said, it was RT and their boards whi proposed them in the first place, OK they were to be consulted on, but presumably they'd thought long and hard about it before making the suggestions, so presumably they thought they were good suggestions. So they got it terribly wrong. Not just a bit missjudged, but totally off the scale out of touch with the farmers!

So who binned the suggestions? The RT board, or was it pressure from farmers? Suspect the latter, then actioned by the board. To be fair to the current combinables chair, he just took office as the consultation started iirc, so not his fault, in fact he was chair of the board who binned the proposals. That said, I don't kow what H&S has got to do with grain assurance, but hey ho.
 
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Humble Village Farmer

Member
BASE UK Member
Location
Essex
...and NFU are one of the other backers/ guarantors/ owners of RT...and our levy board don't think RT is currently a good spend of any of our marketing budget.

Not only this, but I was told yesterday that 50% of the SAI Global RT assessors failed their exams, and moral of assessors is really low. The assessors are sick of getting it in the ear from farmers who are forced into being "members".

Assessors are just doing their jobs. The one I spoke to said they sometimes/often have to speak to a colleague to offload their troubles when they've had a bad day and grief from farmers. Now we should be polite, not assessors fault, but what a state of affairs.

Are RT going to listen and take heed of these clear industry signs and rumblings? I fear they won't, but surely anyone with even an ounce of sense would remove their head from the sand and make some changes before their whole business implodes.

Are the people currently in charge nimble and smart enough to stop the rot, drag RT out of its unpopular model, and evolve it into something fit for purpose that offers genuine premiums for the work done, and create something loved by farmers. So far they've failed imho.
It seems they are as happy to let their staff suffer as the farmer customers.
 
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Chris F

Staff Member
Media
Location
Hammerwich

Drillman

Member
Mixed Farmer
...and NFU are one of the other backers/ guarantors/ owners of RT...and our levy board don't think RT is currently a good spend of any of our marketing budget.

Not only this, but I was told yesterday that 50% of the SAI Global RT assessors failed their exams, and moral of assessors is really low. The assessors are sick of getting it in the ear from farmers who are forced into being "members".

Assessors are just doing their jobs. The one I spoke to said they sometimes/often have to speak to a colleague to offload their troubles when they've had a bad day and grief from farmers. Now we should be polite, not assessors fault, but what a state of affairs.

Are RT going to listen and take heed of these clear industry signs and rumblings? I fear they won't, but surely anyone with even an ounce of sense would remove their head from the sand and make some changes before their whole business implodes.

Are the people currently in charge nimble and smart enough to stop the rot, drag RT out of its unpopular model, and evolve it into something fit for purpose that offers genuine premiums for the work done, and create something loved by farmers. So far they've failed imho.

Edit. Most of the proposed ned standards were binned, which was good news. That said, it was RT and their boards whi proposed them in the first place, OK they were to be consulted on, but presumably they'd thought long and hard about it before making the suggestions, so presumably they thought they were good suggestions. So they got it terribly wrong. Not just a bit missjudged, but totally off the scale out of touch with the farmers!

So who binned the suggestions? The RT board, or was it pressure from farmers? Suspect the latter, then actioned by the board. To be fair to the current combinables chair, he just took office as the consultation started iirc, so not his fault, in fact he was chair of the board who binned the proposals. That said, I don't kow what H&S has got to do with grain assurance, but hey ho.
The Assessors are the frontline people who engage directly with those of us who have been forced into something that just brings cost to our business.

As frontline people the assessors should well expect feedback from farmers. good and bad!

At the end of the day no one forced the assessor to take the job. So if they don’t like the feedback move to a different job!

as for red tractor, I’ve said for a long time it’s a badly thought out and failing business model. Now the AHDB must be thinking the same!
 

Drillman

Member
Mixed Farmer
I would hope our Levy board will give its Levy payers the chance to scrutinise and vote on red tractors proposals of how they intend to spend our money as well!

value for money for the farmer and grower must be top priority in these uncertain times. Without us they don’t exist anyway so must evolve to be of use to us going forwards!
 
I would say they need to go further, RT should be made to demonstrate the value farmers have had from the ahdb contribution for the last 5 years and if they can’t, be made to pay the money back.

I think the VAT man can go back 7 years in investigations and if they find anything wrong, can go back another 7.
Perhaps the same principle should apply here if RT can’t demobstrate what benefit farmers have gained from the money they’ve received.
 

Drillman

Member
Mixed Farmer
I would say they need to go further, RT should be made to demonstrate the value farmers have had from the ahdb contribution for the last 5 years and if they can’t, be made to pay the money back.

I think the VAT man can go back 7 years in investigations and if they find anything wrong, can go back another 7.
Perhaps the same principle should apply here if RT can’t demobstrate what benefit farmers have gained from the money they’ve received.
If the above was implemented red tractor would sh!t themselves and probably go into voluntary liquidation to avoid answering anything!

£1,250,000 is a lot of money to go through a private company’s hands over the last 5 years and all with no quantifiable benefit to the folks who paid the money to the levy board in the first place!
 
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tullah

Member
Location
Linconshire
I would say they need to go further, RT should be made to demonstrate the value farmers have had from the ahdb contribution for the last 5 years and if they can’t, be made to pay the money back.

I think the VAT man can go back 7 years in investigations and if they find anything wrong, can go back another 7.
Perhaps the same principle should apply here if RT can’t demobstrate what benefit farmers have gained from the money they’ve received.
I'll be first in the queue. I'd be happy sharing the winnings with a good
lawyer on a no win no fee. Just to see them broke would be quite enough.
 

bobk

Member
Location
stafford
The Assessors are the frontline people who engage directly with those of us who have been forced into something that just brings cost to our business.

As frontline people the assessors should well expect feedback from farmers. good and bad!

At the end of the day no one forced the assessor to take the job. So if they don’t like the feedback move to a different job!

as for red tractor, I’ve said for a long time it’s a badly thought out and failing business model. Now the AHDB must be thinking the same!
I don't give the assessor any jip , they're doing a job .

However a RT knob rung me after I'd consumed alcohol .... oops
 

Drillman

Member
Mixed Farmer
I don't give the assessor any jip , they're doing a job .

However a RT knob rung me after I'd consumed alcohol .... oops
There choice to do that job!

And as said there frontline so there the ones easiest to give feedback to,

we all know how evasive red tractor are when they get feedback from me,bership!
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 79 42.2%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 65 34.8%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 30 16.0%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 75-100%

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

    Votes: 7 3.7%

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

  • 1,289
  • 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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