British Red Tractor carrots......grown in Spain ?

[MikeNeaverson]

I strongly suspect this is a simple labelling error. Either they're British carrots (by far the most likely) incorrectly printed as Spanish, or they're Spanish carrots and some poor bugger has forgotten to change the film to non-RT. The mistake should have been picked up, though I highly doubt that there is some grand RT or Tesco conspiracy here. And I'm sure the packer will be getting both a bill and a sizeable rollocking from Tesco.

This is a ludicrously difficult time to be in the packing sector at the moment, huge demand even for the busiest week of the year, massive covid related staff shortages and unpredictable foreign labour. If this is the worst thing that happens in the supply chain this Christmas then please lets all maintain a sense of perspective and realise that quite frankly the industry has performed a miracle in the circumstances.

 

[Widgetone]

genuine q - could the UK supply at 19p/kg?
That what the shoppers want...

 

[Chris F]

Call the grocery code adjudicator!
Call the chairman of red tractor!

Oh the irony.

That might be the quickest resignation in history!

 

[MikeNeaverson]

genuine q - could the UK supply at 19p/kg?
That what the shoppers want...

No. Costs between £150-£250/t to get veg packed and to a supermarket depot. Plus the cost of the veg itself.

Can't speak for carrots but the freebuy price of spuds ex-farm, dirty in boxes, at the moment is basically the same as what the supermarkets are selling them for.

 

[Chris F]

I strongly suspect this is a simple labelling error. Either they're British carrots (by far the most likely) incorrectly printed as Spanish, or they're Spanish carrots and some poor bugger has forgotten to change the film to non-RT. The mistake should have been picked up, though I highly doubt that there is some grand RT or Tesco conspiracy here. And I'm sure the packer will be getting both a bill and a sizeable rollocking from Tesco.

This is a ludicrously difficult time to be in the packing sector at the moment, huge demand even for the busiest week of the year, massive covid related staff shortages and unpredictable foreign labour. If this is the worst thing that happens in the supply chain this Christmas then please lets all maintain a sense of perspective and realise that quite frankly the industry has performed a miracle in the circumstances.

I'd agree, However they all now need to be removed from the shelves and re-bagged. Selling them as is breaks all sorts of rules.

 

[Two Tone]

There is a haulage company near us called Spier and Hartwell, who run a fleet of fridge trailers carrying veg from Spain, mostly back to the packing house at Atherstone-on-Stour. The place where those firemen died a few years ago.
It is now more than twice the size!

The haulier has a reputation for wanting its divers to get a move on, to say the least. One went through one of our roadside hedges a few years ago. The trailer front, sides and back just fell apart like a pack of cards.
The Atherstone pack house is just one of many dotted all over the UK, packing EU veg.
You wouldn't believe the amount of waste cardboard packaging they throw away!

What sense is it to drag it all here when it can be grown here?

 

[DRC]

Tesco now saying it’s a labelling issue, and they are grown in Scotland .

 

[teslacoils]

I suspect it's an error. But apart from the rage, does it matter that much? Suppose they were from Spain but from a farm owned by an English chap. Or are we bothered about the food miles? Surely you can't actually taste the difference between a Spanish and english carrot?

 

[DRC]

I suspect it's an error. But apart from the rage, does it matter that much? Suppose they were from Spain but from a farm owned by an English chap. Or are we bothered about the food miles? Surely you can't actually taste the difference between a Spanish and english carrot?

I think it’s because we are so peed off with red tractor, NRoSo et al, and the fact it’s taken us to notice it, rather than red tractor themselves or Tesco employees.
We all know the schemes are a protection racket in all but name .

 

[MikeNeaverson]

I'd agree, However they all now need to be removed from the shelves and re-bagged. Selling them as is breaks all sorts of rules.

Agreed

 

[DRC]

I'd agree, However they all now need to be removed from the shelves and re-bagged. Selling them as is breaks all sorts of rules.

Or donate them to food banks, rather than waste extra packaging , fuel and time

 

[bobk]

They can't grow carrots in spain , not many surely

 

[Agrivator]

The Tory's do not speak for me

But they speak for the rest of the South of Scotland. And almost all of Cumbria. And Northumberland. And North Yorkshire.

 

[Nithsdale]

But they speak for the rest of the South of Scotland. And almost all of Cumbria. And Northumberland. And North Yorkshire.

They do not speak for Scotland. They do not hold any majority here.

 

[DrWazzock]

I suspect it's an error. But apart from the rage, does it matter that much? Suppose they were from Spain but from a farm owned by an English chap. Or are we bothered about the food miles? Surely you can't actually taste the difference between a Spanish and english carrot?

This is it. It doesn't really matter. If the carrots are grown by a British firm in Spain and even if they only comply with local Spanish rules then to my mind they are safe enough to eat at a basic level. I couldn't really care less how many times they test their sprayer. It will only do as good a job as the lad or lass driving it on the day.
I would rather buy carrots grown in Britain due to food miles issues but if people want to grow them in Spain and send them here then fair play to them. The RT stamp doesn't really add anything to anything IMO except of course additional costs to producers.

And on a slightly different note, really, the RT is just a brand anyway. Its not actually "British" as such, is it? Anywhere in the world could pass the audit and use the RT label as far as I'm aware. To prohibit foreign producers from joining the scheme and using it would probably break some discrimination laws or trading agreements,
The notion that Red Tractor is an exclusively "British Produced" brand is a big misunderstanding IMO, probably because it has hijacked the Union Jack. This situation needs urgent clarification in my view. Is RT only applicable to exclusively British products or not? If it isn't then in my opinion it should not be using the Union Jack.

I think the use of the Union Jack in itself out with the RT logo on the packaging is a more serious misrepresentation, personally. They weren't actually grown in Britain, according to the rest of the label.

Maybe though RT could serve a purpose in auditing produce from "dodgier" countries where we have less faith in the local national standards. That way it would really earn in it's money, in Russia, Latin America or Brazil for example or wherever the dates and nuts come from.

I am coming round to the view that the RT scheme should be nationalised and become a government funded inspectorate that makes sure all produce consumed here meets British Standards, home produced or imported. It shouldn't be funded by British farmers.

 

[DrWazzock]

Really its a sorry mess that needs clarifying and sorting out.

 

[Yale]

@Lowland1 any thoughts on red tractor,I’d assume some of your stuff will be RT.

The tenuous link would be grown by a British farmer but not in Britain.

 

[Exfarmer]

They can't grow carrots in spain , not many surely

Several English growers have farms in Spain particularly growing Early carrots before ours under plastic are ready. They fill a slot when the old carrots are getting a bit tired

 

[jendan]

genuine q - could the UK supply at 19p/kg?
That what the shoppers want...

I dont think anyone can supply them at 19p/kg............and thats what Tesco are selling them at,not what they are paying their suppliers. They are good as well.It completely devalues food

 

[MrNoo]

Maybe though RT could serve a purpose in auditing produce from "dodgier" countries where we have less faith in the local national standards. That way it would really earn in it's money, in Russia, Latin America or Brazil for example or wherever the dates and nuts come from.

Like they'd put up with the type of bulls**t we do!!!! I suspect the inspector would venture onto farm and never re-appear, be 6ft under in short order.