Guy Smith's response to FW article on AIC rules.

Dave645

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
N Lincs
my vote still goes for, we try to start our own standard get it govermant recognised and shove it down the AIC’s throat.

https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/farming-animal-feed

If we can create a registered new uk farm standard that the food agency recognise, feed mills would be hard pressed to block it.
We side step all of RT in one shot.
As far as I can tell they set import standards so we should be able to get a scheme up and running that is at that same level.
Then and only then, if consumers require RT and are willing to pay a premium for it, will RT find a market, and farmers willing to join RT.

https://www.food.gov.uk/apply-for-a-regulated-product-authorisation
If we create a new regulatory product, Uk feed wheat. . . Offer free member ship to farmers in the uk willing to do the tick box declaration, they then get a assurance number under the scheme to put on passports etc.

another product for, uk milling wheat, etc etc create a standard for them all Ideally tick box. Then we have a identifiable marketable products which should give us back assess to the feed mills without RT or the AIC being able to block it.
Funding the work to set it up, I have no clue, will we need a board of directors or committee etc no clue I will contact the food agency and see if it’s even possible.

Ok email sent to them I will see what hoops need jumping through. Or if they reply at all.

The Gist is I asked for new products, uk feed wheat, uk milling wheat, etc etc to be recognised by the AIC as having a standard equal to imports but noting that they are grown in the uk. I asked what would need to be done to start the new product standard. And how to get it recognised by the AIC mills.
 
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Location
Cheshire
FWIW I thought @Guy Smith defence of RT in the article was half hearted and almost apologetic. I’m not sure how long he’ll be taking that schilling.
Minette is more than tarnished with the WLA debacle, the fact that it has been abandoned is proof we can overcome these racketeers.
Stuart Roberts is party to the organic scam so there’s no need to ask where his loyalties lie.
Only leaves Tom Bradshaw to rid us of this sh1tshow🥴
 

Steevo

Member
Location
Gloucestershire
Just made a start reading FW. First off, very very well done @Grass And Grain on a cracking article. The double page spread looks really good and hits home on the issue.

Reading on a bit further there is an article (or should that be advert?) on P50 about a farmer who earns a £3/t premium over feed for supplying Weetabix. Grows 300-400t a year and has never had a load rejected (no mention of claims though).

Taking previous comments about Weetabix really valuing Red Tractor given by those in defence of the standard it struck me crazy that they only pay £3/t premium. In that farmer’s position, I’m not sure I’d consider the extra £1000 really worth the hassle. Added to that, on top of RT assurance you also have to be LEAF or in a stewardship scheme. If they really value RT standard grain then why not make those rules part of the “contract” too, and pay a real premium. This idea of RT being a single standard to prevent all buyers creating their own is total rubbish.

There’s even talk in the article Weetabix plan to “work with grower groups to measure and try to reduce carbon footprint”.
 

Vader

Member
Mixed Farmer
Just made a start reading FW. First off, very very well done @Grass And Grain on a cracking article. The double page spread looks really good and hits home on the issue.

Reading on a bit further there is an article (or should that be advert?) on P50 about a farmer who earns a £3/t premium over feed for supplying Weetabix. Grows 300-400t a year and has never had a load rejected (no mention of claims though).

Taking previous comments about Weetabix really valuing Red Tractor given by those in defence of the standard it struck me crazy that they only pay £3/t premium. In that farmer’s position, I’m not sure I’d consider the extra £1000 really worth the hassle. Added to that, on top of RT assurance you also have to be LEAF or in a stewardship scheme. If they really value RT standard grain then why not make those rules part of the “contract” too, and pay a real premium. This idea of RT being a single standard to prevent all buyers creating their own is total rubbish.

There’s even talk in the article Weetabix plan to “work with grower groups to measure and try to reduce carbon footprint”.
Farmers need to tell all that we produce food. If we make a bit of carbon, then its the result of a need to eat.
Flying abroad, space ship trips, importing wood chips to burn etc are not a necessity and need to go before farming methods.
 

Clive

Staff Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lichfield
Just made a start reading FW. First off, very very well done @Grass And Grain on a cracking article. The double page spread looks really good and hits home on the issue.

Reading on a bit further there is an article (or should that be advert?) on P50 about a farmer who earns a £3/t premium over feed for supplying Weetabix. Grows 300-400t a year and has never had a load rejected (no mention of claims though).

Taking previous comments about Weetabix really valuing Red Tractor given by those in defence of the standard it struck me crazy that they only pay £3/t premium. In that farmer’s position, I’m not sure I’d consider the extra £1000 really worth the hassle. Added to that, on top of RT assurance you also have to be LEAF or in a stewardship scheme. If they really value RT standard grain then why not make those rules part of the “contract” too, and pay a real premium. This idea of RT being a single standard to prevent all buyers creating their own is total rubbish.

There’s even talk in the article Weetabix plan to “work with grower groups to measure and try to reduce carbon footprint”.

how many Uk growers are even in s posit to supply the unicorn that is Wheatabix when they only source from within 50 miles of factory ?


hardly representative of most Uk cereal producers is it
 

Highashgrange

Member
Arable Farmer
Excellent article in the FW. Well done to those of you that have stuck your necks out and made statements. We cancelled our NFU membership citing this as the reason. The NFU shouldn’t have any involvement with RT and it’s something I was never aware of until a few weeks ago. Our local Nfu person just shrugged his shoulders, not bothered in the slightest.
 

steveR

Member
Mixed Farmer
Excellent article in the FW. Well done to those of you that have stuck your necks out and made statements. We cancelled our NFU membership citing this as the reason. The NFU shouldn’t have any involvement with RT and it’s something I was never aware of until a few weeks ago. Our local Nfu person just shrugged his shoulders, not bothered in the slightest.

Really!! That is very disappointing, but possibly indicative that there are a lot going down this road?

Email the County Chair and the NFU Regional Boss, and keep up the pressure...
 
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Grass And Grain

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Yorks
Wonder if the RT promo team had found an article for FW, which just happened to hit print that week.

To be fair, all part of the debate, so fine.

Was it 75,000t, so not much. Vivirgo will get through that in less than 3-4 weeks when they get going.
 

Sid

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
South Molton
without going off topic there is nothing special NFU insurance and it was FAR more expensive than better more comprehensive alternative even when I was still a NFU member, in 6 years since moving away from NFU will have saved me well over £100,000 via F&M and now Acres insurance, both are very keen and my claim experience with both is far better than it was with the NFU m
It was far more cheaper than another mutual quote here and on a par with a broker.

Tip is to make sure you shop around
Insurance
Electricity
Fuel
Etc

Farm deals, your sales part of TFF has been apart from once in the last year, always been more expensive than I can buy somewhere else or even with the same firm.
I could run them down, but anyone selling into the market is healthy.

Perhaps it's about time you got rid of that large chip on your shoulder?
 

Grass And Grain

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Yorks
Excellent article in the FW. Well done to those of you that have stuck your necks out and made statements. We cancelled our NFU membership citing this as the reason. The NFU shouldn’t have any involvement with RT and it’s something I was never aware of until a few weeks ago. Our local Nfu person just shrugged his shoulders, not bothered in the slightest.
They might be a bit more bothered soon (by it all). Lots of farmers don't know anything about it...........yet.
 

Humble Village Farmer

Member
BASE UK Member
Location
Essex
They might be a bit more bothered soon (by it all). Lots of farmers don't know anything about it...........yet.
To make sure the message gets out, everyone needs to tell all your friends, neighbours, relations, colleagues etc via facebook, what's app or whatever.

Contact ahdb and ask them to improve markets for UK farmers by withdrawing support for red tractor which is doing the exact opposite.
 
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oil barron

Member
Location
Aberdeenshire
This was interesting


36669864-3A99-40B2-BF0C-109E2428B6F3.jpeg
 

Chris F

Staff Member
Media
Location
Hammerwich
They've got to work fast for us. Job sorted before the ballot.

Then farmers will love AHDB and everyone lives happily ever after.

There's the issue - they don't do anything fast. The are the slowest organisation I have come across. They are strangled by middle managers who can't /won't make decisions. This is even when you have the support of directors. Then I hear them moan about being given £3.9m by Defra and they have no idea how to spend it in 6 months.
 

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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