Lockdown red tractor inspection

[Barleymow]

Did mine via wots app in may was ok , forget to let them know my sprayer had passed its test in july so was suspended.
Rang and got re instated then sent a 3rd sheet of stickers I don't even use 1 sheet on a year, more of my money wasted.

 

[Warp Land Farmer]

It’s a simple system. Not long to scan in the paper work evidence that we should all have and create the photos as per their list. Yes the phone walk around the yard could be bothersome if your signal area is poor but apart from that no real issues. This Covid situation is not nice for anyone so we should all work together rather then set out on a negative first foot as seems to be the feeling I gather from the most of this thread.

 

[Tarw Coch]

I would love nothing more that to do that, but other options are limited with milk now. If your not assured they won't pick it up.

Might drop the beef and lamb side though as I'm mostly selling as calves nowadays and the lamb trade is much the same in market, sometimes better (provided their well finished)

Don’t know about the lamb side of it but as far as the beef side goes I’m not aware of anything extra you have to do over dairy...................other than pay.
I’m convinced it’s just money for them to tick a box, question is, can it be recouped in Barrens?
I did ask the question of the guy I send my Barrens to and he says yes so I payed up again this year.

 

[average farmer]

Got one booked on the 9th. If it’s good weather Dad will be cancelling it.

I don’t see why it needs to be done in a day, could of been asking for records for ages and ticking them off over a longer period of time.

the sit down bit is where we are more likely to spread Covid and all this can be done electronically. A walk around the farm would be easy to social distance

 

[Warp Land Farmer]

Got one booked on the 9th. If it’s good weather Dad will be cancelling it.

I don’t see why it needs to be done in a day, could of been asking for records for ages and ticking them off over a longer period of time.

the sit down bit is where we are more likely to spread Covid and all this can be done electronically. A walk around the farm would be easy to social distance

We were given 4 weeks to upload all our documentation, in reality it took about 2 to 3 hours of scanning and uploading. Had to be completed 48 hours before inspection. All very simple and the inspector was available to call any time if you got stuck with any thing such as interpreting a certain requirement. He was a good chap, very helpful. I found it far less stressful than a full on site audit.

 

[Banana Bar]

Online was so simple. Very easy to email everything. The scheme however is utterly pointless.

 

[ploughman1963]

I’ve managed to avoid farm assurance on our own farm (lamb and arable) so far but with the tonnage of grain we are moving now, I have no choice but to join this worthless scheme! I haven’t been so angry about something for a very long time - absolutely pointless!

 

[Tamar]

Why are you lot still doing Red Tractor when the Chair women thinks it is acceptable to have imports that don't need our standards !?!

This is the very time we need to finally grow a collective pair and tell them 'I'm Out'

 

[puppet]

I will have to rip the pages out of my desk diary, to be able to scan and email, or just take pics of dates when I washed the grain bucket.

Is that actually one of the standards? Surely nonsense as the date is irrelevant as long as it is cleaned when used.
In every industry the inspection breaches are the areas which are easy to monitor from records but often the least important. No record of dates of changing a missing sheep tag is a favourite but with wholly home-bred and no individual passport it is irrelevant to stock or public health.

 

[Still Farming]

I think meeting up 1 on 1 for business is still ok, so should be able to go ahead.

Free "dose", with it ,is it???

 

[mixed breed]

This Covid situation is not nice for anyone so we should all work together rather then set out on a negative first foot as seems to be the feeling I gather from the most of this thread.

Trouble is, assurance is something I doubt any of us really look forward to doing, I always feel a certain amount of dread when I get the call. But with the chief voting against the very standards that we have all been adhering to, makes it even more a farce. Add in this corvid lark and you have one very stressed lad who cannot sleep for worry. (I'm odd like that)
Thankfully a bit of chat and banter on tff, and the knowledge I'm not alone, has made me feel a lot better about it.

 

[Warp Land Farmer]

Trouble is, assurance is something I doubt any of us really look forward to doing, I always feel a certain amount of dread when I get the call. But with the chief voting against the very standards that we have all been adhering to, makes it even more a farce. Add in this corvid lark and you have one very stressed lad who cannot sleep for worry. (I'm odd like that)
Thankfully a bit of chat and banter on tff, and the knowledge I'm not alone, has made me feel a lot better about it.

I hope you can find some cure for your sleeplessness. I don’t like getting ready for it or doing the audit but I find that I dont worry as I know on the whole we are doing it all correctly and have nothing to hide, if the audit throws up a few non-conformities they are normally simple to solve retrospectively. Perhaps we have fallen lucky with our auditors as we have never suffered any problems like others I have read about they have always been helpfully. Agree with your leader / voting / farce comment. Shame really.

 

[mixed breed]

I hope you can find some cure for your sleeplessness. I don’t like getting ready for it or doing the audit but I find that I dont worry as I know on the whole we are doing it all correctly and have nothing to hide, if the audit throws up a few non-conformities they are normally simple to solve retrospectively. Perhaps we have fallen lucky with our auditors as we have never suffered any problems like others I have read about they have always been helpfully. Agree with your leader / voting / farce comment. Shame really.

Very true, the lead up/preparation is often more stressful than the actual inspection.

 

[buffalo_soldier]

Had mine online last week, Dairy + minor beef.

An onsite vist is fine as long as both farmer and assessor agree.
Guidance is, if you can work from home you should. So I opted for online.

It pains me but Red Tractor have actually developed a really intuitive and clear portal, making the documentation and photography simple.
No internet round yard here, so specific short videos were also sent.
Then there was a bit of time on the phone going over anything extra.

Disinfectant seems to be this year's hot ticket as a couple types have been withdrawn. Making it a major non compliance if farms are using old stock.

 

[matthew]

I think meeting up 1 on 1 for business is still ok, so should be able to go ahead.

I’ve said onsite visit or dont bother.

online I haven’t got the patience to be downloading everything they want and fone signal is hopeless here in the yard.

It’s a simple system. Not long to scan in the paper work evidence that we should all have and create the photos as per their list. Yes the phone walk around the yard could be bothersome if your signal area is poor but apart from that no real issues. This Covid situation is not nice for anyone so we should all work together rather then set out on a negative first foot as seems to be the feeling I gather from the most of this thread.

Mmm. We as livestock farmers have had to carry on as before, during the last lockdown, and no doubt the coming one (After Bonfire night) have we not?
Cattle have calved, sheep have lambed, TB tests been done, silage gathered and all in all - the farm has gritted its collective teeth and carried on.

So why on earth, particularly if you have a rubbish signal, bad reception and no smartie phone should you have to go through several hours of more hassle and your valuable time, so that a RT inspector can sit at home in the warm and tick boxes?

I explained all this and said 'you'll have to come out'.

She couldn't come into the house so I dumped the appropriate paperwork in the garage and left her and her lap top to it.

 

[robs1]

I want to get mine done before the sprayer needs testing. Always try and get one test to cover 2 years , as advised by a previous inspector

I do the same re sprayer.

 

[Tamar]

Another lockdown about to start................... I bet all the panic buyers are only buying products with the Red Tractor logo on.

Oh no wait..............90% couldn't care less where their food comes from. That figure rises to 100% if you are hungry.

 

[Farma Parma]

It really is a crazy thing this assurance carry-on, mine is due end of Feb but never heard a thing from them until mid Sept!
I had my stickers for Harvest 2020 thankfully.
oh can we do a video & pictures one
Yes i said but not until later on in Oct when Ive finished arable work.
Fine we will be in touch was there reply.
2wks later the local lass who has done on farm inspections for years rings me up & says can i do as pretty much as normal?
so i said yes as i'll set up a table in shed we can deffo keep social distance etc etc so it all went pretty smoothly like it does most years.
Anyhow its due for renewal again in Feb, oh i'll likely be back then to possibly go over most of the same paperwork? & if as they now can use data from last 12months
most it will fly through. Nowt like jobs for the Boys as they say.

 

[DRC]

You’d think if you’d passed inspection every year since it started, with little or no problems ,they’d give a free hit in a year like this .

 

[Farma Parma]

You’d think if you’d passed inspection every year since it started, with little or no problems ,they’d give a free hit in a year like this .

I agree
Knock £50 off there Sub mind !!
If i didnt have too be in it i most certain wouldnt be.
i recon 75% of everyones records are just made up the day before an inspection anyways.