Fair play to FW for tackling AIC issue head on.

[Jackov Altraids]

My word. Wait until you read this!

Assured Food Standards (RT) is a not-for-profit company, with 6 guarantors. One is AHDB, another is NFU.

Scottish Quality Crops is a company limited by guarantee, one of the members of the company is AIC.

See below web links and screenshots...

Who We Are: The Red Tractor Team - Red Tractor Assurance

Red Tractor is a not-for-profit company created by farmers and industry leaders in 2000.

assurance.redtractor.org.uk

SQC Board of Directors

If AIC were to let us have same feed mill access arrangements as imports, then SQC loses members and income. Remember AIC are one of SQC's owners.

RT would lose members and income. AHDB and NFU are guarantors of AFS.

So when we ask for a tick box declaration, we are met with resistance, but given no valid reason why not.

The water is muddy.

When we've talked to AHDB about a tick box, they've not said no, but have gone down the route of talking to RT. It's got nothing to do with RT. It doesn't need RT's approval.

But if AHDB were to get AIC to allow tick-box declaration, then as guarantors of RT and SQC, AHDB and AIC would have decimated income for the companies they are guarantors for.

Same goes for NFU, hence presumably why the malaise from NFU.

With this conflict of interest, are levy payers ever going to get genuine help from AHDB? I think levy payers are due an explanation from Nicholas Saphir over this.

I could never understand the full reasons for the illogical resistance to a tick-box pesticide declaration. I do now understand why there is resistance.

I smell some rats, and they're not in my RT assured grain store. They're in the offices at AHDB and AIC and NFU.

Meanwhile, farmers get charged millions £££ each year to be forced to be farm assured.

One for the Rogue Traders TV programme.

!!!!! It's a scandal !!!!!

I really think we are in the territory of being able to make a class action litigation for extortion.

 

[Grass And Grain]

I really think we are in the territory of being able to make a class action litigation for extortion.

Headline...

Farmers want to sue their own levy board, and the levy payers will have to foot their own legal bill.

 

[Flat 10]

Any of those company guarantors will be hell bent on making sure farmers can't leave their schemes.

These company guarantors are the ones who control the boardrooms.

I think we all knew it was people fighting to prevent a gravy train hitting the buffers and losing their jobs. Also those in the NFU who cannot lose face by admitting that assurance is anything other than flawless.

 

[Flat 10]

We want a tick-box pesticide declaration box from AHD, accepted by AIC.

WE WANT IT NOW.

20 years ago would have been good……
I have a bill for all the hours spent monitoring grain temps to send to someone…….

 

[Grass And Grain]

I think we all knew it was people fighting to prevent a gravy train hitting the buffers and losing their jobs. Also those in the NFU who cannot lose face by admitting that assurance is anything other than flawless.

It's this realisation of the association between RT and AHDB.

No wonder we've been getting nowhere. Are we ever going to get genuine help from AHDB?

 

[DrWazzock]

We want a tick-box pesticide declaration box from AHD, accepted by AIC.

WE WANT IT NOW.

That’s spot on. A tick box on the grain passport is all we require to achieve a level playing field with imports. A tick in that tick box would confirm we have met a predefined list of requirements without needing a Mickey Mouse scheme like RT and all the overhead that brings. Signature at the bottom. Job done.
I must admit I did have a spell of doubt and resignation that there would never be enough momentum to dislodge this mafia like cartel but I’m extremely heartened and hopeful that real progress is now being made. Very well done to all concerned.

 

[Jackov Altraids]

Headline...

Farmers want to sue their own levy board, and the levy payers will have to foot their own legal bill.

It would save time and money on ballots.........

The incestuous parasites at the top of our industry need removing.

It is the NFU who should have stopped this from happening but actually caused it.

 

[Grass And Grain]

It would save time and money on ballots.........

The incestuous parasites at the top of our industry need removing.

It is the NFU who should have stopped this from happening but actually caused it.

No wonder NFU won't help their members. They'd be dropped in it as company guarantors of AFS, and also drop other company guarantors like AHDB in it as well.

What makes me angry, is all the time during the past 20 years, NFU members and levy payers are the ones who've been put upon and made to pay up.

As a farmer, I feel rather trampled upon.

 

[Grass And Grain]

I'm afraid AHDB have a conflict of interest. Under this structure, they cannot work independently or effectively for levy payers.

I get lots of value from AHDB, I'd have supported them in a ballot. I'm not so certain now.

The FW podcast made fun of the disconect betwen the official reason from AHDB for RT funding withdrawal, vs what David Walston (AHDB board member) said on Twitter.

Respect for David. He told the truth, and stuck his neck out, risking getting into hot water with rest of AHDB board. What a star. Genuinely truthful with no selfishness.

Is it just me, or is all this scandalous?

 

[Grass And Grain]

Come on AHDB. Save yourselves.

Give us a tick-box pesticide declaration on the passport, make AIC accept it, if AIC won't accept it start your own feed mill assurance scheme.

This issue has got much worse this week, but it can be resolved next week, and levy payers will then value and back AHDB.

There's an open door to kissing and making up.

Take it.

 

[Humble Village Farmer]

Feels like attacking people who you'd really expect should be on your team, but in reality have been getting us to pay their salaries.

I'm hopeful it will pressurise AHDB in the short-term, but get a better long term result for farmers, and an AHDB who come out of it like heroes.

It does run the risk of AHDB getting annihilated if farmers make the link. I'm not sure who's fault that would be - RT, AIC, NFU or AHDB. I note in the podcast Paul mentioned the ballot.

Minds will have been concentrated, and I'm guessing more urgency to appease everyone. Surely a compromise can be reached.

All we want is acceptance of a tick-box on a passport, hust like the imports. What a fuss it's causing.

Quite why ahdb (a levy funded industry body) is paying RT (a private company), which is already very profitable, needs investigating.

 

[Jackov Altraids]

Quite why ahdb (a levy funded industry body) is paying RT(a private company) which is already very profitable needs investigating.

It is understandable that it is a good use of funds to combine a marketing strategy.
It is unfair that non-RT members are then paying to promote RT.

It should also be realised that in every survey, a union flag is far more significant to consumers than a red tractor so it is money wasted.

 

[Grass And Grain]

I think AHDB should work to open markets for non-assured grain growers.

 

[stroller]

I can't take credit for this video. I've not got the brains or skill set to make something like this, and it was just meant to be a bit of fun for those in the know, but apt to post it again in this thread. Don't sue me, not my work. Here's the youtube link...

Hilarious, shared on faceache

 

[MrNoo]

I think AHDB should work to open markets for non-assured grain growers.

I dont because there will always be the price difference for example, feed wheat (assured) £188, feed wheat (unassured) £172, with this gap between the two there is always going to be tricks occurring somewhere down the chain to magically change the product from one to another.
This whole deluded idea that unassured wheat is inferior is utter rubbish, grown on the same land, same kit and same attention to detail but worth £16/t less because I wont pay a Cartel

 

[tullah]

My word. Wait until you read this!

Assured Food Standards (RT) is a not-for-profit company, with 6 guarantors. One is AHDB, another is NFU.

Scottish Quality Crops is a company limited by guarantee, one of the members of the company is AIC.

See below web links and screenshots...

Who We Are: The Red Tractor Team - Red Tractor Assurance

Red Tractor is a not-for-profit company created by farmers and industry leaders in 2000.

assurance.redtractor.org.uk

SQC Board of Directors

If AIC were to let us have same feed mill access arrangements as imports, then SQC loses members and income. Remember AIC are one of SQC's owners.

RT would lose members and income. AHDB and NFU are guarantors of AFS.

So when we ask for a tick box declaration, we are met with resistance, but given no valid reason why not.

The water is muddy.

When we've talked to AHDB about a tick box, they've not said no, but have gone down the route of talking to RT. It's got nothing to do with RT. It doesn't need RT's approval.

But if AHDB were to get AIC to allow tick-box declaration, then as guarantors of RT and SQC, AHDB and AIC would have decimated income for the companies they are guarantors for.

Same goes for NFU, hence presumably why the malaise from NFU.

With this conflict of interest, are levy payers ever going to get genuine help from AHDB? I think levy payers are due an explanation from Nicholas Saphir over this.

I could never understand the full reasons for the illogical resistance to a tick-box pesticide declaration. I do now understand why there is resistance.

I smell some rats, and they're not in my RT assured grain store. They're in the offices at AHDB and AIC and NFU.

Meanwhile, farmers get charged millions £££ each year to be forced to be farm assured.

One for the Rogue Traders TV programme.

!!!!! It's a scandal !!!!!

The more you delve the more it all stinks.

 

[Grass And Grain]

Believe AHDB C&O chairmanship is up. Think outgoin chairman Paul T is acting as interim chair.

No wonder an interim chair is needed, suspect no-one wants the poison chalice.

I propose David Walston, as he told the truth as he recollects it "as one of the board members that voted for this I can confirm Steve is correct, it was in no way related to budgetary concerns"

Doesn't really matter why tbh. Fact is AHDB didn't think RT was worthy of the funding. That must dent RT credibility as a scheme.

 

[Grass And Grain]

I dont because there will always be the price difference for example, feed wheat (assured) £188, feed wheat (unassured) £172, with this gap between the two there is always going to be tricks occurring somewhere down the chain to magically change the product from one to another.
This whole deluded idea that unassured wheat is inferior is utter rubbish, grown on the same land, same kit and same attention to detail but worth £16/t less because I wont pay a Cartel

Fair enough. Good point.

 

[Humble Village Farmer]

Ahdb funding red tractor is a big problem for me as a farmer.

I suspect, at the inception of the red tractor scheme, it seemed like a good idea at the time.

However 20 years of 250k is £5 million!!!!!!!! Of levy payers money, at a time when farm profitability has been steadily falling.

For them to splash that kind of money around, there has to be a good reason. So what is it?

This is not looking very promising for ahdb in the event of a vote.

Ahdb exists to improve and develop markets for UK farmers. Funding red tractor does exactly the opposite.

There needs to be a change of direction at ahdb if they are to survive this.

 

[tullah]

Headline...

Farmers want to sue their own levy board, and the levy payers will have to foot their own legal bill.

Out of touch with this but are the levies compulsory?