Are the AHDB complicit with RT?

[Worsall]

Are the AHDB complicit with RT?​

Please see the Arable Commentary thread, do the AHDB think we are thick?....some serious digging going on.

Grain Market Outlook 2021

thefarmingforum.co.uk

 

[Steevo]

Thanks for flagging that up. I was saddened and disappointed to read it.

 

[tullah]

We on tff are always way ahead off the AHDB from markets to research anyway.

 

[Qman]

I don't like either organisation and resent paying red tractor, so i can sell my corn and having money compulsory taken from me by the AHDB.

I'd get rid of both of them.

 

[Grass And Grain]

Looks like AHDB can't decide where their allegiances lie - with RT (for whom they are one of the six company guarantors - read owners), or with farmer levy payers who they are supposed to be working for.

What were they thinking getting muddled up in creating Red Tractor. RT is a private company, and they've worked to force farmers into having to be members by cutting off markets to farmers who refuse to join.

AHDB chose to have the association with RT. It was obvious this was going to have the effect of cutting markets off for non-assured levy payers. Essentially they forced us all to join RT, adding extra cost to English farmers. AHDB chose to suppot this.

Good news is, it can be fixed. The problem is the premium scheme of RT is also the base requirement into a feed mill. So remove RT as the base requirement, let mills and farmers choose. AHDB can still support RT for premium markets, and we might then actually get a premium. I'd be happy with that one simple move.

All we're asking for is for it to be voluntary rather than mandatory for feed mills.

Now AHDB have stopped RT's funding.. HOW BAD DOES THAT LOOK FOR RT!!!

Even one of RT's own guarantors doesn't think theyre fit to have funding until they've come up with a new plan.

AHDB should be working for the sole good of the levy payers. Not a private company.

We've demonstrated how RT IS NOT working for levy payers, as it cuts off markets for non-assured farmers, but allows non-assured imports to access our markets.

What a fluffing state of affairs

Yet the AHDB CEO says they support RT. Maybe they ought to have a careful think. Hint, put the levy payers first.

 

[Steevo]

Looks like AHDB can't decide where their allegiances lie. With RT (for whom they are one of the six company guarantors - read owners), or with farmer levy payers who they are supposed to be working for.

What were they thinking getting muddled up in creating Red Tractor. RT is a private company, and they've worked to force farmers into having to be members by cutting off markets to farmers who refuse to join.

AHDB chose to have the association with RT.

Now AHDB have stopped RT's funding.. HOW BAD DOES THAT LOOK FOR RT!!!

Even one of RT's own guarantors doesn't think theyre fit to have funding until they've come up with a new plan.

AHDB should be working for the sole good of the levy payers. Not a private company.

We've demonstrated how RT IS NOT working for levy payers, as it cuts off markets for non-assured farmers, but allows non-assured imports to access our markets.

What a fluffing state of affairs

Yet the AHDB CEO says they support RT. Maybe they ought to have a careful think. Hint, put the levy payers first.

How long before the announcement that after a long process of rigerout thought they have now reinstated the funding because RT have implemented robust procedures.

 

[tullah]

Looks like AHDB can't decide where their allegiances lie. With RT (for whom they are one of the six company guarantors - read owners), or with farmer levy payers who they are supposed to be working for.

What were they thinking getting muddled up in creating Red Tractor. RT is a private company, and they've worked to force farmers into having to be members by cutting off markets to farmers who refuse to join.

AHDB chose to have the association with RT.

Now AHDB have stopped RT's funding.. HOW BAD DOES THAT LOOK FOR RT!!!

Even one of RT's own guarantors doesn't think theyre fit to have funding until they've come up with a new plan.

AHDB should be working for the sole good of the levy payers. Not a private company.

We've demonstrated how RT IS NOT working for levy payers, as it cuts off markets for non-assured farmers, but allows non-assured imports to access our markets.

What a fluffing state of affairs

Yet the AHDB CEO says they support RT. Maybe they ought to have a careful think. Hint, put the levy payers first.

Of course AHDB and Nfu say they support RT...it's their own company.
Why do Nfu amd AHDB hide behind the name RT...because they don't want to admit that it's actually them.
Of course they congratulate it as it's theirs.
The official and true name for this fraudulent concern would normally be "NFU AHDB" but they came up with the logo of RT to look as though it was nothing to do with them and it took ages to drag it out of them that they owned it.
There's just so much not right here milking farmers like this that it's hard to put into print.

 

[Grass And Grain]

How long before the announcement that after a long process of rigerout thought they have now reinstated the funding because RT have implemented robust procedures.

Probably before the current funding term finishes. So no change.

All they've got to do is make RT voluntary for feed mills (rather than mandatory), then we'd be happy.

One little change.

They're all scared their hopeless little scheme will haemorrhage members. It's so rubbish they think it will fail if they make it voluntary.

In some ways their fears would be unfounded, because RT grain would actuallly have to command a premium price if a mill requested it. Then market forces and premiums find a balance.

Farmers aren't thought of as being capable of deciding for ourselvea if we should choose RT. They're smarter than we are, know what's best for us, we should just do as we are told for our own good.

It's like modern day slavery.

 

[Steevo]

Probably before the current funding term finishes. So no change.

All they've got to do is make RT voluntary for feed mills (rather than mandatory), then we'd be happy.

One little change.

They're all scared their hopeless little scheme will haemorrhage members. It's so rubbish they think it will fail if they make it voluntary.

In some ways their fears would be unfounded, because RT grain would actuallly have to command a premium price if a mill requested it. Then market forces and premiums find a balance.

Farmers aren't thought of as being capable of deciding for ourselvea if we should choose RT. They're smarter than we are, know what's best for us, we should just do as we are told for our own good.

It's like modern day slavery.

We can leave NFU though….well, unless we have already done so.

 

[Flat 10]

Probably before the current funding term finishes. So no change.

All they've got to do is make RT voluntary for feed mills (rather than mandatory), then we'd be happy.

One little change.

They're all scared their hopeless little scheme will haemorrhage members. It's so rubbish they think it will fail if they make it voluntary.

In some ways their fears would be unfounded, because RT grain would actuallly have to command a premium price if a mill requested it. Then market forces and premiums find a balance.

Farmers aren't thought of as being capable of deciding for ourselvea if we should choose RT. They're smarter than we are, know what's best for us, we should just do as we are told for our own good.

It's like modern day slavery.

Same as its thought we can't manage land, see all that bull crap in the the other thread about large scale land management schemes (read RSPB, National trust or some other incompetent nitwits tell you how to farm). Nationalisation by the back door......

 

[Mixedupfarmer]

How long before the announcement that after a long process of rigerout thought they have now reinstated the funding because RT have implemented robust procedures.

Lessons will have been learned Not!

 

[Worsall]

If we don't get the answers and transparency we deserve from our Levy Board, our only option then is to seek a ballot to stop the levy.
I am not going to sit back and watch an organisation leach off me, while it hinders and limits my business.

 

[Grass And Grain]

If we don't get the answers and transparency we deserve from our Levy Board, our only option then is to seek a ballot to stop the levy.
I am not going to sit back and watch an organisation leach off me, while it hinders and limits my business.

All AHDB have to do is say they'll get it made voluntary for feed mills to choose either RT grain or UK legislative standard grain (maybe accompanied by a pesticide declaration).
That's all we ask. It's not too much of an ask.

If AHDB can't support getting market access to grain mills for levy payers who have produced grain to the UK legislative standards, then AHDB must be prioritising their allegiance with RT over and above their responsibilities to levy payers.

That would be disgraceful. They're supposed to work solely for the interests of levy payers. Develop markets for levy payers, not develop membership numbers and income for RT.

 

[graham mc]

the way i see it the ahdb either help or get voted off. growers have already got rid of 2 gravy train carridges with votes and this would be a bigger win for farmers.

do or die time im afraid ahdb

 

[texelburger]

All AHDB have to do is say they'll get it made voluntary for feed mills to choose either RT grain or UK legislative standard grain (maybe accompanied by a pesticide declaration).
That's all we ask. It's not too much of an ask.

If AHDB can't support getting market access to grain mills for levy payers who have produced grain to the UK legislative standards, then AHDB must be prioritising their allegiance with RT over and above their responsibilities to levy payers.

That would be disgraceful. They're supposed to work solely for the interests of levy payers. Develop markets for levy payers, not develop membership numbers and income for RT.

After speaking to many people in the last couple of months it's becoming apparent that more and more levy payers are being made aware of the inequalities of the grain trade with assured and non assured grain.I don't think Martin.G.Smith et Al are aware of the growing resentment to their close ties with RT.AHDB are,sadly,making their own noose and the daft thing they could ,quite easily,make changes to appease the people who fund them.
RT,on the other hand,have gone too far and their days are numbered.

 

[simon w]

If we don't get the answers and transparency we deserve from our Levy Board, our only option then is to seek a ballot to stop the levy.
I am not going to sit back and watch an organisation leach off me, while it hinders and limits my business.

I think to call a vote is the only answer, I have a suspicion that they are trying to side step the vote promised for next year because of the RT issue. I have emailed them and posted on the forum asking about their intention for a vote with no reply. It seems for some reason they don't want to talk about it.

 

[tullah]

Several farmers here big and small meet at the pub twice a month and invariably end up chatting about Nfu rt and AHDB. Probably not just us

 

[Chris F]

I have pointed out to their comms team that sitting on the fence makes them look bad. But that is the "company" line at present. I have also said I think it will be the end of them if they don't start to side with farmers.

For clarity I have said this to their face. They need to change, that is clear.

 

[robbie]

I think to call a vote is the only answer, I have a suspicion that they are trying to side step the vote promised for next year because of the RT issue. I have emailed them and posted on the forum asking about their intention for a vote with no reply. It seems for some reason they don't want to talk about it.

The piece in last week's farmers weekly said that they were going to let us vote on how OUR money is spent but the vote wouldn't be on weather to continue or scrap the levy altogether.
It seems they are here to stay and will ultimately keep having a draw of us farmers.

 

[simon w]

The thing that triggered the potato and horticulture sector vote was a survey about how we wanted our money spent. As with any survey, loader questions and no clear account of participants, you can come up with a result that suits you. In that survey my 5 yr old grandson could have participated. Then they claimed it gave them a clear mandate to "carry on". The growers said this is a con and started to petition for a vote, I see a similar situation arising now. The AHDB and RT need to take note and not make the same mistake again. Don't try and con us, talk to us and try to address the problems or you could end up with a vote against you,and please could you respond to my emails.