How long do you spend preparing for RT audit?

[curlietailz]

Wonder what would happen if we took the Line of Duty approach and insist on being inspected by someone with at least one qualification higher that yourselves
That should upset the apple cart

 

[Hfd Cattle]

Wonder what would happen if we took the Line of Duty approach and insist on being inspected by someone with at least one qualification higher that yourselves
That should upset the apple cart

They are all higher qualified than me .... I left school with no O level..no A level .... all I had was a spirit level pinched out of the metalwork room !

 

[Hfd Cattle]

Our next RT inspection will be interested.
Gonna let them turn uk and go through what they want as as soon as they start getting picky I am gonna say just forget it we will pack it in .

 

[Gedd]

Our next RT inspection will be interested.
Gonna let them turn uk and go through what they want as as soon as they start getting picky I am gonna say just forget it we will pack it in .

Have done that in the past there is room for movement if they think your going to walk away

 

[An Gof]

To be fair, as long as they send assessors who are doing it alongside their own farming, as the better ones I have had here have been, the system is about as painless as it will get. I have yet to have an arse turn up here.
My gripe with it all is the continuous addition of new rules that have no benefit, if only we were effectively represented on the RT board.
Although I did see Guy Smith's letter in FW, explaining why @Clive is misguided.

I think we are well represented on the Cereals committee with some excellent spokesmen putting our case. The problem is that they ARE ALWAYS outnumbered by the other parties who have a vested interest in getting higher standards that primary producers pay for.

 

[Clive]

To be fair, as long as they send assessors who are doing it alongside their own farming, as the better ones I have had here have been, the system is about as painless as it will get. I have yet to have an arse turn up here.
My gripe with it all is the continuous addition of new rules that have no benefit, if only we were effectively represented on the RT board.
Although I did see Guy Smith's letter in FW, explaining why @Clive is misguided.

Guy is not wrong that red tractor will make RED2 simple, I’m not totally convinced that other more simple ways to deal with this have been considered however, default seems to be do what ever AIC and red tractor say as far as the NFU are concerned.......... no one seems to challenge this self appointed agricultural police force

however he’s missing the point that we are handing yet more control of our businesses to a commercial company, with a monopoly on farm assurance, owned in part by our input suppliers and buyers / retailers thats has no independent right of appeal in place

any farmer who thinks that’s good for Uk farmers is deluded

 

[Clive]

I think we are well represented on the Cereals committee with some excellent spokesmen putting our case. The problem is that they ARE ALWAYS outnumbered by the other parties who have a vested interest in getting higher standards that primary producers pay for.

there is no point them being there from what some of those farmer spokesmen tell me

all are heavily linked to the NFU as well, but this is the norm in Uk Ag it seems, not sure it makes for the most independent representation given the NFU‘s disrespect for democratic process. I’m not sure they really appreciate how this is destroying their credibility not only with farmers but with policy makers these days

 

[Bury the Trash]

Have done that in the past there is room for movement if they think your going to walk away

That maybe so but try withholding payment from them if you're not happy , they certainly don't like that , which in my eyes proves just what they are in it for.

 

[An Gof]

there is no point them being there from what some of them tell me

I know, I have heard similar. But it doesn’t make them bad representatives for us. It is the whole system that is broken which is firmly weighted against the producers interests. Moreover the producer is seen as the cash cow that has to pay for it all whilst any benefits that do derive are retained by the other parties in the chain.

 

[Clive]

at my next audit I’m going to sit the inspector in a room with all record files and access to software required

he can have free access to any building on the yard etc

i dont think there is any obligation for me to provide assistance?

 

[Clive]

I know, I have heard similar. But it doesn’t make them bad representatives for us. It is the whole system that is broken which is firmly weighted against the producers interests. Moreover the producer is seen as the cash cow that has to pay for it all whilst any benefits that do derive are retained by the other parties in the chain.

no they are not bad, but what’s the point in a broken system ?

NFU is the same, some great people in a VERY broken system designed to encourage no change / no boat rocking etc

it all needs a big shake up, a bit like the AHDB is getting right now simply by introduction of some actually cold, hard democracy

democracy forces accountability, it’s totally lacking in Ag right now

 

[hagar]

Frequently threaten Q.M.S with walking. Usually when they're trying to push for a visit in April when I'm up to ma tits in lambing (outside) and calving. (1 man band)
They usually end up sending a letter saying they will remove me if I don't agree to a visit within 7 days.
Wait til day 5-6 and phone Edinburgh and say something like- feel free to remove me, BUT at this critical time of year my animals and their welfare are far more important than any jumped up fud coming to have a farm walk and take up 2+ hours o my time.
Once tried to cancel a visit early March on morning of inspection due to a foot o snaw through the night to be asked "could you not lift me with tractor at the local village 3 miles away"
Some are sensible guys, others are on a different planet.

Christ I must be getting more arsit as I get older.
Wonder if they draw straws to see who gets the pleasure of visiting that grumpy fukr in Ayrshire

 

[mwj]

Maybe this is part of the ''we produce to the highest standards in the world'' that I hear used so much. This thread seems rather strange to someone from another country that produces ''factory food'' for the world market.

 

[steveR]

It has always sufficed here to say that i check calibrate the meters pre-harvest against samples supplied by either one of a couple of local mills. Which is good practice anyway.

And when it comes time to sell, do the meters still match and agree.....?

 

[steveR]

Our next RT inspection will be interested.
Gonna let them turn uk and go through what they want as as soon as they start getting picky I am gonna say just forget it we will pack it in .

Do have the camera running for that, AFTER, warning said Inspector, that as a quality and assurance check, his visit will be filmed for training and monitoring purposes??

 

[Barleymow]

Do it at the seaside so at sea level and take a pic to prove it.
nick...

will will this do?

 

[Zippy768]

at my next audit I’m going to sit the inspector in a room with all record files and access to software required

he can have free access to any building on the yard etc

i dont think there is any obligation for me to provide assistance?

We've done exactly that the last two visits. Been the same inspector tbh. Just leave the files and paperwork with him and leave him to it. Last time, I gave him my number and told him to call when he is finished.
I wouldn't let him walk around the yard by himself. Not sure that is wise for either parties imo.

 

[tullah]

You surely will have paid, for assessor to come anyway?

Yes. But it's the satisfaction of telling him where he can put it. I'll claim back my four months membership.

 

[neilo]

What gets me is the rubbish that routinely appear on these threads....

There's a premium. Hmmm, well I ain't seen any premium in 20 years.
It only takes 10 minutes to do. Hmmm, well half a day gone here just to get rid of a few chem drums.
Other industries have it worse. Hmmm, estate agents, scaffolders, plumbers, builders audited then ?
And the biggest gobshitery of all.......it's only the sh!te farmers that have trouble scraping though....

Is it not a legal requirement to dispose of those chemical drums through the proper channels?
I don’t generate a lot of plastic waste compared to many, but I take mine in once every two years (which is as few times as I can get away with). I always thought that was necessary, regardless of RT membership.

 

[Flat 10]

Is it not a legal requirement to dispose of those chemical drums through the proper channels?
I don’t generate a lot of plastic waste compared to many, but I take mine in once every two years (which is as few times as I can get away with). I always thought that was necessary, regardless of RT membership.

Our inspector asks for one within the last 12 months. If it’s the law why do we need RT to check that?