Farm Assurance?

[markpentre]

Parents farm is due an inspection this week.. The question is.. Is it worth it any more?? They have down scaled there farming due to retirement. No longer have Sucklers so no Cull cows going only sell about 30-40 Store cattle each year which are all sold by 24 mnth max..
Will there be any price difference in the store ring. All the buyers know him and the quality of cattle he sells.
Also will SFP alter atall if no longer Farm Assured??

 

[deleted user 837354]

Ask the buyer of your cattle/stores.

 

[Wooly]

I suggest you tell your parents to cancel the inspection and safe them the stress and cost.

No one cares if store cattle are FA.........yet, .........until it becomes a rule for whole life assurance.

There is absolutely no benefit tfor them to pay into the FA racket.

 

[milkloss]

Unless they bring in whole life assurance I wouldn't bother. It might add some value to the cull cows but we sell ours as growers so gives them time to get the ticket on them.

 

[markpentre]

This is just what we have been thinking for a while ... Waste of money and time!!!

 

[Tarw Coch]

As said, no benefit to them at the present.
It’s nowt that RT would like to move to whole life assurance but it’s not here yet and there is speculation that under some replacement for bps there might be a requirement for farm assured status but that is only speculation.
So as I say, no benefits at present, probably never will be any benefits but there might come a day when it is forced upon them.

 

[topground]

If sheep and beef farmers are stupid enough to allow whole life assurance to be introduced it is a short step for Red Tractor to outlaw a movement through a livestock market. This will deliver vertical integration of beef and sheep production which is craved by the supermarket buyer cartels to control the market for the benefit of their shareholders. It will also do away with the open competition for our livestock which helps to set prices.
Look at the chicken and pig job dictated by a few major players.
Ditch farm assurance, you will be no worse off in the store market.

 

[I still farm]

While I agree with all the above, the only caveat I'd add is that farm assurance is a form of audit that is easier than from any of the local authorities. Correct me if I'm wrong but you'd be higher up the list for a visit from trading standards etc if you weren't FA. So long as your happy with that, then ditch the FA. Personally I'd keep it up , a couple of hours every year/ 18 months is worth it.

 

[topground]

While I agree with all the above, the only caveat I'd add is that farm assurance is a form of audit that is easier than from any of the local authorities. Correct me if I'm wrong but you'd be higher up the list for a visit from trading standards etc if you weren't FA. So long as your happy with that, then ditch the FA. Personally I'd keep it up , a couple of hours every year/ 18 months is worth it.

Happy to have Trading Standards here any day because if they want to prosecute me because they believe I have broken the law then they have to have present their evidence to a court of law. Red Tractor can screw my business on a whim just because the inspector doesn’t like the colour of my eyes.
A Trading Standards officer has to abide to publicly available standards of evidence gathering and presentation PACE and the local authority enforcement policy .
I pay for Trading Standards as part of my Council,Tax and if a TSO wants to play silly buggers his or her employment prospects and pension are on the line, not so with an unqualified assurance inspector.

 

[Drillman]

We’re in lockdown Farm assurance inspections on farm should not be taking place at the moment,

If you really want or need to pander to the RT gestapo tell them to sod off and get back in touch when lockdown ends.

 

[fieldfarmer]

While I agree with all the above, the only caveat I'd add is that farm assurance is a form of audit that is easier than from any of the local authorities. Correct me if I'm wrong but you'd be higher up the list for a visit from trading standards etc if you weren't FA. So long as your happy with that, then ditch the FA. Personally I'd keep it up , a couple of hours every year/ 18 months is worth it.

Not in my experience, I've allways been farm assured right from the start, and have had 3 trading standards inspections also in that time, quick look at sheep, beef and yard, one sample of all crops in store in to separate jars for independent testing the ten minutes in office, done. They were all spot inspections so no time to worry or prepare.

 

[gone up the hill]

While I agree with all the above, the only caveat I'd add is that farm assurance is a form of audit that is easier than from any of the local authorities. Correct me if I'm wrong but you'd be higher up the list for a visit from trading standards etc if you weren't FA. So long as your happy with that, then ditch the FA. Personally I'd keep it up , a couple of hours every year/ 18 months is worth it.

An audit from trading standards is far easier than the RT audit any day of the week.

And Trading standards are very proffesional unlike the little jumped up Hitler's that many of the RT inspectors are!

Trading standards will inspect you regardless of being farm assured on not and that is what all trading standards inspectors will tell you if you ask them.

Either you are on the NFU or RT pay roll it sounds like.

 

[nickf]

While I agree with all the above, the only caveat I'd add is that farm assurance is a form of audit that is easier than from any of the local authorities. Correct me if I'm wrong but you'd be higher up the list for a visit from trading standards etc if you weren't FA. So long as your happy with that, then ditch the FA. Personally I'd keep it up , a couple of hours every year/ 18 months is worth it.

I had a Trading Standards inspection a few years back at the same time as being a member of ACCS Crops and Beef and Lamb.
Trading Standards were polite, knowledgeable and genuinely trying to be helpful. It was a far less stressful audit than current RT visit.

 

[I still farm]

I had a Trading Standards inspection a few years back at the same time as being a member of ACCS Crops and Beef and Lamb.
Trading Standards were polite, knowledgeable and genuinely trying to be helpful. It was a far less stressful audit than current RT visit.

Fair enough, always got on ok anytime anyone wanted a spot inspection. I'm neither high in the NFU nor RT, just my own experience of RT has been ok. But then I'm not cereals and no longer dairy, sad to hear some of you guys are having bad experiences.

 

[I still farm]

An audit from trading standards is far easier than the RT audit any day of the week.

And Trading standards are very proffesional unlike the little jumped up Hitler's that many of the RT inspectors are!

Trading standards will inspect you regardless of being farm assured on not and that is what all trading standards inspectors will tell you if you ask them.

Either you are on the NFU or RT pay roll it sounds like.

Neither RT nor high in NFU , sorry you had a bad time with RT.
Always got on ok with TSO, just I always worry more ....maybe that's just the way I am?

 

[gone up the hill]

Neither RT nor high in NFU , sorry you had a bad time with RT.
Always got on ok with TSO, just I always worry more ....maybe that's just the way I am?

Unless you have done something very bad trading standards wont shut a farm down on the spot but many RT inspectors have a big chip on their shoulder and know they can stop a farm trading if they feel like it for no good reason.

I have had some very good RT inspectors but the last one certainly has no business inspecting farms and will never set foot on my land again!

 

[I still farm]

Unless you have done something very bad trading standards wont shut a farm down on the spot but many RT inspectors have a big chip on their shoulder and know they can stop a farm trading if they feel like it for no good reason.

I have had some very good RT inspectors but the last one certainly has no business inspecting farms and will never set foot on my land again!

Yes, I do worry about what happens when the "good" generation of RT inspectors leave the industry.
I'm hoping to time my leaving before this point !
Who do we take any complaints to etc. When I had an RPA visit( went ok) the guy left the leaflet about inspection standards and what to do if you complain. Who audits the auditors? Someone should, I'm sure it happens in other industries.

 

[orbost]

i have been asked to my red tractor audit using the online system this year and i had a go using it and its far to time consuming try to down load everything . Always found sitting down with inspector at the kitchen table with lap top and paper work fairly easy but i am now thinking of leaving red tractor. Its like leaning a new computer system with two weeks notice. NO THANKS

 

[Tarw Coch]

While I agree with all the above, the only caveat I'd add is that farm assurance is a form of audit that is easier than from any of the local authorities. Correct me if I'm wrong but you'd be higher up the list for a visit from trading standards etc if you weren't FA. So long as your happy with that, then ditch the FA. Personally I'd keep it up , a couple of hours every year/ 18 months is worth it.

Why would you be higher up the list for an inspection by someone else if you aren’t FA?
I realise it’s a claim the people from FA make but how does it work?
In this day and age of data protection are they allowed to share information regarding who is or isn’t a member?
I don’t know but I suspect it may be bullpoo.

 

[thorpe]

While I agree with all the above, the only caveat I'd add is that farm assurance is a form of audit that is easier than from any of the local authorities. Correct me if I'm wrong but you'd be higher up the list for a visit from trading standards etc if you weren't FA. So long as your happy with that, then ditch the FA. Personally I'd keep it up , a couple of hours every year/ 18 months is worth it.

i have a mate who is not assured trading standars wont leave him alone, but he does wind them up.