Digital Combinable Crop passports

graham mc

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
East Yorkshire
Can't see any farmer benefit from a digital passport, the idea wants filing under 'Just because we can, doesn't mean we should.'

The winning tender from 2021 included a cost of £500k to build the more complex system which industry previously required. This includes the cost to develop the core database and web portal, the mobile app and the systems integration platform. A fresh procurement process is being undertaken through winter 2023/24 based on industry’s revised requirements. When the winning bidder is known, the development cost will be shared with industry.

what will the cost be now and what is the benefit???????

AHDB are bloody brilliant at spending others money. To me they are desperate to get themselves in a position where they are safe from the vote
 

Clive

Staff Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lichfield
But as said by @Clive at the start, if it could evolve into a self certifying assurance declaration/ certificate of conformity with a few extra tick boxes then I’d be all for it. Box for agronomist basis number, FACTS number, sprayer MOT number and a few other bits and we could ditch the RT annual farce and membership fee?

this is what it should be and I see that as a potentail positive

BUT BIG CAVEAT - for me is only the AHDB should be the owners and admin of it all,. not the others, no way
 

Clive

Staff Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lichfield
The winning tender from 2021 included a cost of £500k to build the more complex system which industry previously required. This includes the cost to develop the core database and web portal, the mobile app and the systems integration platform. A fresh procurement process is being undertaken through winter 2023/24 based on industry’s revised requirements. When the winning bidder is known, the development cost will be shared with industry.

what will the cost be now and what is the benefit???????

AHDB are bloody brilliant at spending others money. To me they are desperate to get themselves in a position where they are safe from the vote

wow ! I'm glad our developer are more affordable ! I don't know the entire scope but this is 50-100k of work max IME
 

two-cylinder

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Cambridge
I am concerned for those in our industry are not competent in using modern technology.
It is easy to dismiss this, as those of us who use the forum obviously are, but I know of many older growers and a few middle age ones who get their spouse or sibling to do the computer stuff for them.
In every other area this is possible because it is not time critical, but this digital passport completion will be in 'real time' how is that going to work when their helper is at work?

There has been odd occasions when my father has loaded a lorry when I have been spraying, it would be a real pain if I had miss a good spraying day because I had to be there to fill in an online passport.
 

Flat 10

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Fen Edge
I am concerned for those in our industry are not competent in using modern technology.
It is easy to dismiss this, as those of us who use the forum obviously are, but I know of many older growers and a few middle age ones who get their spouse or sibling to do the computer stuff for them.
In every other area this is possible because it is not time critical, but this digital passport completion will be in 'real time' how is that going to work when their helper is at work?

There has been odd occasions when my father has loaded a lorry when I have been spraying, it would be a real pain if I had miss a good spraying day because I had to be there to fill in an online passport.
Good point. I bet most of us know at least one.
 
For it to work it will have to be a smart phone app that works when the phone signal is weak
some places only have 1 to 2 mps speeds on phone signal and lower on copper internet signal
going out to the back field to make it work will be no good

it will have to work on both apple and android

off line by blue tooth would be better

we would still need the drivers and vehicle details recorded to prove collection in case the system failed
taking and storing a picture is fine but a drivers signature is safer
 

Flat 10

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Fen Edge
For it to work it will have to be a smart phone app that works when the phone signal is weak
some places only have 1 to 2 mps speeds on phone signal and lower on copper internet signal
going out to the back field to make it work will be no good

it will have to work on both apple and android

off line by blue tooth would be better

we would still need the drivers and vehicle details recorded to prove collection in case the system failed
taking and storing a picture is fine but a drivers signature is safer
Good points. Do you see any benefits?
 

Clive

Staff Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lichfield
For it to work it will have to be a smart phone app that works when the phone signal is weak
some places only have 1 to 2 mps speeds on phone signal and lower on copper internet signal
going out to the back field to make it work will be no good

it will have to work on both apple and android

off line by blue tooth would be better

we would still need the drivers and vehicle details recorded to prove collection in case the system failed
taking and storing a picture is fine but a drivers signature is safer

none of that is technically difficult or needs to be expensive to develop
 

An Gof

Member
Location
Cornwall
One of the reasons trade want a digital passport is so that more information on the load can be supplied with each passport. Current system is limited to what can be put on one sheet of A4

Expect to have to submit a whole host of extra information over time if this is implemented for EVERY load.
Remember knowledge and data is power ☹️
 

DrWazzock

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lincolnshire
the benefits could be a simplified / free assurance alternative for product tractability and faster reporting of spec or claims etc ?

however i have no interest if BRC / NFU or AIC are involved - they are not getting any data from my business as i don’t trust any of them with it
Agreed. I really am tired of the fox being in charge of the chicken coup. A clear line needs to be drawn between farmers’ interests and AIC/BRC interests and the days of the NFU trying to straddle that line are surely over.
We all pay a levy to AHDB. They really ought to be standing for farmers’ interests and farmers interests’ alone.
RT is too much infiltrated now to credibly work in farmers’ interests.
This passport could be a way forward to building a simpler, leaner, cleaner partially but not wholly self certifying assurance system.
We can all work to the guidance of the RT manual but let’s drop the cost and farce of the one day inspection, but instead rely on the backstop of local authority inspection and a self certifying passport that assures every single load in a clean and tidy inexpensive way.
 

DrWazzock

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lincolnshire
And wouldn’t it be nice if “quality” worked both ways? Why can’t we be paid a bonus for cereals dryer than 15% or bushelweight higher than 72? It can be done and is done for OSR so why not for cereals. That would be one way of getting a bit of premium and making the system work for farmers. Will lt happen? I’m not holding my breath.
 

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Expanded and improved Sustainable Farming Incentive offer for farmers published

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Expanded Sustainable Farming Incentive offer from July will give the sector a clear path forward and boost farm business resilience.

From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and The Rt Hon Sir Mark Spencer MP Published21 May 2024

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Full details of the expanded and improved Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) offer available to farmers from July have been published by the...
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