Farm Assurance Schemes.

[AndyHaycocks]

Ladies and Gents,

Probably digging over an old topic on here, but please bare with me (I'm a newbie)

Trying to get started rearing beef cattle again after an absence of quite a few years. I have spoken to a few local butchers and they are all buying 'Farm assured' meats or so they say. I am just wondering whether there is any substantial benefits from being farm assured when selling finished stock through live markets or do the benefits only come apparent when doing direct supply to these businesses?

Thanks in advance......

 

[AGN76]

@gone up the hill

 

[7610 super q]

In short....No.

 

[milkloss]

If you are finishing cattle then I would say yes. It is a con but it's what we've got and where we are. You'll easily earn your few hundred quid back on a load of beasts I'm sure.

I think even @gone up the hill is FA?

 

[Northeastfarmer]

In our mart the butchers aren't bothered about the cattle being FA but if you want to sell them into any deadweight outlet you'll have to join the club

 

[Henarar]

The best thing since sliced bread just ask @FarmyStu

 

[FarmyStu]

Ladies and Gents,

Probably digging over an old topic on here, but please bare with me (I'm a newbie)

Trying to get started rearing beef cattle again after an absence of quite a few years. I have spoken to a few local butchers and they are all buying 'Farm assured' meats or so they say. I am just wondering whether there is any substantial benefits from being farm assured when selling finished stock through live markets or do the benefits only come apparent when doing direct supply to these businesses?

Thanks in advance......

If you're just starting out then apart from the £100 (?) or so quid it will cost you to become a member, you've got nothing to lose. The requirements are so basic that if you can't comply now then you probably shouldn't bother getting in to livestock farming again. The requirements are so simple to comply with that you'll wonder what all the fuss is about. Just have a look on the Red Tractor website for Beef & Lamb.

 

[spin cycle]

run andy....run far....you've picked THE most devisive topic on here

IMO farm assurance cons both consumers and farmers....but if you want to do it go ahead and good luck

personally i've left FA after 18 unblemished years and i'd rather quit than go back....it's the hypocrisy of agri business in my eyes

welcome to the forum BTW

 

[Wooly]

Fudging Farm Assurance !!

Only 10% of farmers like it, but if you are selling through the markets then the supermarket buyers only buy Farm Assured stock.......... unless they are short and have the magic lorry that turns non FA stock when they are loaded, into FA stock by the time they are unloaded!!

You jump through all the hoops to satisfy the buyers, who then repay you by buying their beef from Argentina and their lambs from NZ. But not before the FA mafia have unloaded your bank account of a few hundred pounds!


..........and don't forget to pay for your NFU subscription as they love FA........but only because it employs several ex NFU bigwigs.


PS. Do your local butchers really buy F.A stock, as all our local butchers prefer to buy from local farms and never ask about assurance?

 

[Henarar]

Fudging Farm Assurance !!

Only 10% of farmers like it, but if you are selling through the markets then the supermarket buyers only buy Farm Assured stock.......... unless they are short and have the magic lorry that turns non FA stock when they are loaded, into FA stock by the time they are unloaded!!

You jump through all the hoops to satisfy the buyers, who then repay you by buying their beef from Argentina and their lambs from NZ. But not before the FA mafia have unloaded your bank account of a few hundred pounds!


..........and don't forget to pay for your NFU subscription as they love FA........but only because it employs several ex NFU bigwigs.


PS. Do your local butchers really buy F.A stock, as all our local butchers prefer to buy from local farms and never ask about assurance?

good post

 

[lim x]

Apparently, if your not assured, you'd be raising your stock in a 'hell hole'.

 

[gone up the hill]

Ladies and Gents,

Probably digging over an old topic on here, but please bare with me (I'm a newbie)

Trying to get started rearing beef cattle again after an absence of quite a few years. I have spoken to a few local butchers and they are all buying 'Farm assured' meats or so they say. I am just wondering whether there is any substantial benefits from being farm assured when selling finished stock through live markets or do the benefits only come apparent when doing direct supply to these businesses?

Thanks in advance......

Basically farm assurance/ RT is BADLY failing the industry, the consumers don't know anything about it or what it stands for, farmers are getting increasingly fed up with every increasing rules/ costs with scheme, whole situation is unsustainable now with Brexit just around the corner, unless the way the scheme is advertised to the consumer is changed and 90% look for it when they buy our produce ( as opposed to 10% looking/ knowing what it stands for currently ) then with the real chance we are going to be flooded with non assured imported meat post brexit then if the owners of the RT company aka the farming unions including the NFU don't get a grasp and make the changes needed then with the need to cut all costs post brexit then Farm assurance as we know it will have to be thrown in the bin.

Ref selling liveweight, it wont make any difference currently for beef cattle as long as they are good quality as there is a shortage of beef, even non UK cull cows are averaging over £1 a kilo liveweight due to the shortage and they are not assured and many plants don't want them to start with yet they are still selling very well.

 

[gone up the hill]

Fudging Farm Assurance !!

Only 10% of farmers like it, but if you are selling through the markets then the supermarket buyers only buy Farm Assured stock.......... unless they are short and have the magic lorry that turns non FA stock when they are loaded, into FA stock by the time they are unloaded!!

You jump through all the hoops to satisfy the buyers, who then repay you by buying their beef from Argentina and their lambs from NZ. But not before the FA mafia have unloaded your bank account of a few hundred pounds!


..........and don't forget to pay for your NFU subscription as they love FA........but only because it employs several ex NFU bigwigs.


PS. Do your local butchers really buy F.A stock, as all our local butchers prefer to buy from local farms and never ask about assurance?

NFU co-own the RT company is why they are so keen for rules to get even more rigorous etc.

Hell of a conflict of intrests that the farming unions own the RT company imo.

 

[topground]

Take a look at Farm Shops who sell beef at premium prices compared to the Supermarkets who control Farm Assurance in order to manipulate the market. I have yet to find one that bothers with Farm Assurance in order to promote its business.
To me that speaks volumes

 

[spin cycle]

i did tell andy to run...he's a newbie be nice

 

[FarmyStu]

Ladies and Gents,

Probably digging over an old topic on here, but please bare with me (I'm a newbie)

Trying to get started rearing beef cattle again after an absence of quite a few years. I have spoken to a few local butchers and they are all buying 'Farm assured' meats or so they say. I am just wondering whether there is any substantial benefits from being farm assured when selling finished stock through live markets or do the benefits only come apparent when doing direct supply to these businesses?

Thanks in advance......

This whole thread is full of quotes, "facts" and opinion from a very few vocal posters, myself included. You'd be better off researching elsewhere than on here to be honest. Somewhere where the reasonableness of the person you're taking advice from can be taken in to account. Plus of course, you need to decide if your current and future chosen market asks for it or are likely to. It's pointless otherwise.

 

[CornishLleyn]

The problem with farm assurance is that it has been so diluted by EU rules as to be pretty much meaningless.

Once we're out, we have the chance to bring in really good schemes which would highlight the poor welfare in some industries and outside the UK, and potentially make it the bar to imports - if you can't meet our standards, you can't sell into the UK.

As usual, the NFU shouldn't be let anywhere near it.

 

[Wooly]

Something for you too read @AndyHaycocks

https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/farm-assurance-poll.161740/

 

[roscoe erf]

 

[AndyHaycocks]

View attachment 510640

Sooooooo sorry for dragging this up!!!