Farm assurance - Do we want an industry referendum?

[liirge]

I've been talking to a few groups of people and we have had an idea that is it time that the farming industry had a vote or referendum on farm assurance. Things have become too much, with Red tractor selling us down the road by signing various environmental commitments without any consultation, LEAF marque making farmers count worms in the field, SMETA audits halting harvests and costing producers £1000s of pounds in labour that can't work whilst being audited. All for what? access to Supermarkets that aren't paying the returns required to even break even.

Do you think that that a vote is a good idea?
Who would participate?
How would it be conducted?
Who would it be sent to? - RT Members? NFU? Parliament? Supermarkets? all the above

What would the fall back be - self certified to legislation only to ensure safety of food and workers?

Shall we see if we can get some traction on a vote on farm assurance?

 

[Barleymow]

We managed without it without issues ,horse gate etc are caused further up the food chain. Environmental health can inspect anytime. The legal stuff we do anyway don't need pointless records

 

[workin f nowt]

I've been talking to a few groups of people and we have had an idea that is it time that the farming industry had a vote or referendum on farm assurance. Things have become too much, with Red tractor selling us down the road by signing various environmental commitments without any consultation, LEAF marque making farmers count worms in the field, SMETA audits halting harvests and costing producers £1000s of pounds in labour that can't work whilst being audited. All for what? access to Supermarkets that aren't paying the returns required to even break even.

Do you think that that a vote is a good idea?
Who would participate?
How would it be conducted?
Who would it be sent to? - RT Members? NFU? Parliament? Supermarkets? all the above

What would the fall back be - self certified to legislation only to ensure safety of food and workers?

Shall we see if we can get some traction on a vote on farm assurance?

Join the BFU / contact them they are working on this. Membership is only a tenner and like Tesco every little helps

 

[SilliamWhale]

I think a poll would be good.


More important than this is to publicly present to the Competition and Marketing Authorities what the scam assurance is doing to free and fair trade and then hold them to account publicly during their investigation.

The other one is to put something in front of the agriculture and shadow agriculture ministers that we need them to look at a over the sharp practices of the NFU/RT/ BRC/ AHDB backscratching

 

[graham mc]

The other one is to put something in front of the agriculture and shadow agriculture ministers that we need them to look at a over the sharp practices of the NFU/RT/ BRC/ AHDB backscratching

would that work as they seam to believe the nfu has farmers interests at heart as they are a farming union

 

[SilliamWhale]

would that work as they seam to believe the nfu has farmers interests at heart as they are a farming union

Should do.

BFU is growing nicely and its something we should be able to do soon as we have a growth in numbers.

DEFRA don't just listen to the NFU, and the NFU don't represent farmers only as they take money from supermarkets etc. L

 

[Exfarmer]

No assurance of any kind would play into the hands of the total free traders on the right and some on the left.
those on the right thinking there is big profits to be made trading cheap food from any source, those on the left who believe that we should be purchasing more from third world countries to boost their agriculture.

 

[graham mc]

what assurance would a food shop or supermarket be subject to? Surely if they are selling to direct end users if a local council inspection is good enough for them it should be good enough for farmers?

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Search all data | Food Hygiene Ratings

 

[topground]

Don’t expect the Government through DEFRA to move against Farm Assurance in any circumstances because they see farmer funded FA as a replacement for enforcement funded through council tax and general taxation. Food producers pay twice through taxation and the protection money paid to Red Tractor.
The only way to see the back of RT is not to sign up so it withers away and the supermarkets will have to find another way to provide their due diligence defence under the Food Safety Act 1990, perhaps,even paying for it themselves instead of us farmer mugs!

 

[SilliamWhale]

No assurance of any kind would play into the hands of the total free traders on the right and some on the left.
those on the right thinking there is big profits to be made trading cheap food from any source, those on the left who believe that we should be purchasing more from third world countries to boost their agriculture.

I don't think it makes any difference. Grain is already in a world market

Assurance would mean something if it was British animals fed on British feedstock but it doesn't so it isnt

 

[milkloss]

Be careful. Bet you a lot of farmers won’t be able to let go. They’ll vote to keep it

 

[liirge]

We managed without it without issues ,horse gate etc are caused further up the food chain. Environmental health can inspect anytime. The legal stuff we do anyway don't need pointless records

Couldn't agree more

 

[liirge]

I think a poll would be good.


More important than this is to publicly present to the Competition and Marketing Authorities what the scam assurance is doing to free and fair trade and then hold them to account publicly during their investigation.

The other one is to put something in front of the agriculture and shadow agriculture ministers that we need them to look at a over the sharp practices of the NFU/RT/ BRC/ AHDB backscratching

This is absolutely it. I think it is really important. Not to use the very marketing parlance that's thrown at me all the time, but the optics are important. Getting out of FA needs to be shown to the public as a good thing because it's scam and overly burdensome rather than just an excuse for farmers to try and lower standards etc.

 

[Jackov Altraids]

I'm beginning to think this is completely the wrong way around.
RT is just a business trying to create a market that doesn't really exist.
The NFU and AHDB are having reviews in RT governance when it is themselves that need investigating as to how they supported and promoted things that were detrimental to farmers.
We need a proper investigation in to how British farmers are represented by our levy boards and farming union.

 

[SilliamWhale]

This is absolutely it. I think it is really important. Not to use the very marketing parlance that's thrown at me all the time, but the optics are important. Getting out of FA needs to be shown to the public as a good thing because it's scam and overly burdensome rather than just an excuse for farmers to try and lower standards etc.

Farm Assurance is nothing but enforced payment for a private company "brand". It has no legal remit

 

[liirge]

Farm Assurance is nothing but enforced payment for a private company "brand". It has no legal remit

Whilst true. It appears to block access to the only viable market for fresh produce i.e the supermarkets as conveniently RT is part owned by the BRC. I'm staggered this whole thing isn't an issue for the CMA

 

[Clive]

I've been talking to a few groups of people and we have had an idea that is it time that the farming industry had a vote or referendum on farm assurance. Things have become too much, with Red tractor selling us down the road by signing various environmental commitments without any consultation, LEAF marque making farmers count worms in the field, SMETA audits halting harvests and costing producers £1000s of pounds in labour that can't work whilst being audited. All for what? access to Supermarkets that aren't paying the returns required to even break even.

Do you think that that a vote is a good idea?
Who would participate?
How would it be conducted?
Who would it be sent to? - RT Members? NFU? Parliament? Supermarkets? all the above

What would the fall back be - self certified to legislation only to ensure safety of food and workers?

Shall we see if we can get some traction on a vote on farm assurance?

the only people who wanting a referendum is farmers ........... so it won't happen as AHDB / NFU will not call it

I think the result of a referendum is beyond predictable - if it was less than 90% wanting to scrap it I would be extremely surprised

there have been various poll threads on here over the years ALL of which were overwhelmingly in favour of scrapping it

 

[Clive]

Whilst true. It appears to block access to the only viable market for fresh produce i.e the supermarkets as conveniently RT is part owned by the BRC. I'm staggered this whole thing isn't an issue for the CMA

specialist competition lawyers have been consulted - in a nutshell if we could fund action there would be a serious case to answer, problem is that is not cheap / without risk

 

[liirge]

specialist competition lawyers have been consulted - in a nutshell if we could fund action there would be a serious case to answer, problem is that is not cheap / without risk

Is this the case. Who has looked in to it?

 

[SilliamWhale]

Whilst true. It appears to block access to the only viable market for fresh produce i.e the supermarkets as conveniently RT is part owned by the BRC. I'm staggered this whole thing isn't an issue for the CMA

It is an issue for the the CMA. But they need more pressure to act