NFU conference 2017

[gone up the hill]

It's interesting you say this. NFU like to say it's the minimum requirement, but in some cases (NSTS) it's quite a bit more.

But....there's no added value to these costs.

Given the RT was set up supposedly to prevent supermarkets creating their own standards....surely they have already done this and are trying to more so. In the arable world, would it really be practical for a supermarket to do this given the number of processors, manufacturers, transport companies etc. that would be affected also? I realise they are already audited on their own for supermarkets (as I'm sure Camgrain likely were/are for Sains), but if they're then handling "unique" supermarket produce....which is common across all arable farms, and likely all farms will supply numerous outlets including the export market the chances of this start to look a little smaller.

Supermarkets already have their own schemes with requirements over and above RT rules, even if your RT assured some supemarkets will still require you to pass their own scheme rules in a separate inspection to supply them but still require you to be RT assured at the same time.

 

[Hampton]

Given that the NFU co -own the Red tractor company they are bound to say that RT is good.....

Reality is that 70/80% of their members think RT/ assurance is complete Bs and working against famers intrests.

George Eustace said yesterday that he had instructed RPA to inspect less farms that are red tractor assured and to concentrate on those without.
He didn't however put a percentage on what the "less" was. He was very vague around a lot of things, I have to say.

 

[bobk]

Supermarkets already have their own schemes with requirements over and above RT rules, even if your RT assured some supemarkets will still require you to pass their own scheme rules in a separate inspection to supply them but still require you to be RT assured at the same time.

And who's inspecting the supermarkets .... themselves.... now that is a joke.

 

[kfpben]

It was a good couple of days. Some good speakers on trade. I especially enjoyed the Aussie guy in the breakout session.

Andrea Leadsom was as positive as she could reasonably be in my opinion. If she came on stage and gave a long list of wild promises I think I'd be a lot more disbelieving. After all it's all a negotiation between UK/EU and others as well as within government departments.

The second day was more of a struggle- entirely self/Walkabout inflicted!

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

It was a good couple of days. Some good speakers on trade. I especially enjoyed the Aussie guy in the breakout session.

Andrea Leadsom was as positive as she could reasonably be in my opinion. If she came on stage and gave a long list of wild promises I think I'd be a lot more disbelieving. After all it's all a negotiation between UK/EU and others as well as within government departments.

The second day was more of a struggle- entirely self/Walkabout inflicted!

The Aussie was good. I liked his reply about us not taking there market for live sheep in the Middle East!

I went to Walkabout too but still made the Earlybirds. No stamina you youngsters.