Red Tractor non conformance

[Drillman]

bloody hell i didnt know i was a law breaker to that extent!

I don’t smoke but as far as I can establish there’s no law to say you can’t enjoy a cancer stick within the boundaries of your own castle and it’s grounds!

so Interpret that as you see fit

 

[SilliamWhale]

Shocking isn't it? Farmers openly admitting to fraudulently filling out records, with no worries at all that RT will conduct sufficiently rigorous checks to expose such cowboy like behaviour.

As I've said before, what's needed is a much tougher, higher level assurance scheme.

Why would you need a tougher assurance scheme? It's clear that it makes no difference one way or another. And besides what is you need to be assured about?

Logic would suggest getting rid of it rather than pretending more flagellation would be better. A lie doesn't become a truth by compounding it

You've also not mentioned who pays for this thougher scheme

 

[SilliamWhale]

Not defending RT at all......
BUT
75% (maybe) of the stuff they ask for would had been done anyway - or should had.
Just write it down when it's done. Most of the stuff needed would be done anyway.
Should one be calibrating spinner?
Calibrating Sprayer?
Insecticide in grain store?

I've made a record sheet for most things they ask for and simply put them where needed and fill in at the time.

I put it all in two folders and leave inspector in the office to get on with it. They'll have my number to phone me if needed.

Not defending it, and the Arable and beef isn't too taxing (can imagine dairy being painful).
Still waste too many evenings in the days before inspecting though.

It's not the point. You can't let corporations control market access as it will be worse further down the line

 

[SilliamWhale]

As I said, that is not what I'm saying. Although as you've raised it again, I'll add this:

If everyone stuck rigidly to the law there wouldn't be much of a problem. But not everyone does. Government agencies don't have the resources to check on everyone on anything approaching a regular basis. So do we just shrug our shoulders? No, we have assurance. Is RT good enough? I don't think so. Is it better than nothing? Yes, most definitely.

So food produced to government standards shouldn't be dangerous, but not all food is produced to these standards. If I were a buyer, RT would give me some confidence that minimum standards were being met. Although knowing what I know (and reading the admissions of document fraud on this website by BFU members) I'd want something better.

But surely you have to be willing to pay for that extra confidence you want?

Nothing is as good as Red Tractor as evidenced by the fact that buyers buy both. In fact any "worrys" about the quality of the product go out the window if imported produce is cheaper

 

[MrNoo]

Shocking isn't it? Farmers openly admitting to fraudulently filling out records, with no worries at all that RT will conduct sufficiently rigorous checks to expose such cowboy like behaviour.

As I've said before, what's needed is a much tougher, higher level assurance scheme.

Oh please just go home and let us get on with our jobs. You don’t even grow the ruddy stuff

 

[Drillman]

@FarmyStu let’s cover some facts that your obviously not aware of

1- Grain is a global commodity no one is willing to pay more for uk farm assured grain. Best price rules

2- For around 20 years farm assurance has cost the uk farmer money yet despite the massive cost to our industry over that 20 year period there is no achievable premium to be gained by been farm assured.

3- a tougher assurance scheme would inevitably lead to higher cost for the grower. Refer to point 2!

4- the only people making money out of farm assurance are the people who salary is paid by assurance providers or employees of red tractor

5- the Uk cannot grow all of the correct types of grain for milling so it has to be blended off with imports so very few grain based products can actually be assured further compounding the issue, refer to point 2.

6- farm assurance for uk grain has no defence anyone trying to do so is obviously on the payroll of the assurance provider or red tractor. It would be better if they got a proper job that actually supported the uk economy rather than just be a drain on uk ag.

 

[tullah]

I’ll bet the farming student consumes Chinese rice.
Somehow all this doesn’t quite fit.

 

[MrNoo]

I’ll bet the farming student consumes Chinese rice.
Somehow all this doesn’t quite fit.

I don’t know but I bet him and Sid must be related!!!

 

[Fiveospades]

How do you become a RT assessor?. I have seldom seen the job advertised . I wish to apply as I could probably do most assessments over the telephone in about two minutes thus slashing the time spent filling in fictitious paperwork and as a result membership fees would be much reduced. The assessment could go as follows, Hello I am phoning to arrange to complete your RT assessment, can we arrange a time for me to visit you so that you can sign the declaration to say you have been assessed?.
Couldn't be more simple could it.

 

[Fiveospades]

I agree. But you think that's a reason to scrap assurance. I think it's a reason to make it more rigorous.

Are you for real or have you got your let's wind them up hat on?.

 

[Drillman]

I don’t know but I bet him and Sid must be related!!!

Probably share a table at the same primary school

edit apologies as the above is an insult to children of primary school age……

 

[DrWazzock]

Everybody is concerned about food price inflation. Well one that is undeniable is that RT has added to costs. Here RT has increased sprayer testing costs by 300% over the legal minimum by insisting on a test annually instead of every three years which is the legal minimum. Leaving aside the fact that only Guss Gullible would rely on an MOT to prove a sprayers worthiness to spray on any particular day, RT must surely acknowledge their role in increasing product costs and thereby contributing to food prices inflation.

 

[Drillman]

Everybody is concerned about food price inflation. Well one that is undeniable is that RT has added to costs. Here RT has increased sprayer testing costs by 300% over the legal minimum by insisting on a test annually instead of every three years which is the legal minimum. Leaving aside the fact that only Guss Gullible would rely on an MOT to prove a sprayers worthiness to spray on any particular day, RT must surely acknowledge their role in increasing product costs and thereby contributing to food prices inflation.

What also beats me is red tractor are losing members hand over fist, have lost AHDB funding and are been slated on a daily basis by the farming industry. Yet they don’t make any effort to do something about it.

End of the day to keep the people who pay there wages onside is very simple.

sit down with the buyers of our products and negotiate a worthwhile premium for us.

World beating standards deserve a world beating price. So why aren’t We getting it???

 

[MrNoo]

I thought they raised the annual fee some 30-40% to cover their loss from AHDB, so ineffect lost £250k but fee rise generated another £500k.
They can’t get a premium can they, promised from the outset but never materialised.
It’d have to be £5/t to be worthwhile but no one will pay that. Let’s face it they wouldn’t even pay 1p extra over market price would they.

 

[Drillman]

I thought they raised the annual fee some 30-40% to cover their loss from AHDB, so ineffect lost £250k but fee rise generated another £500k.
They can’t get a premium can they, promised from the outset but never materialised.
It’d have to be £5/t to be worthwhile but no one will pay that. Let’s face it they wouldn’t even pay 1p extra over market price would they.

Exactly.

Those that want farm assurance should be the ones paying for it.

far as I can establish it’s only @FarmyStu so as the annual cost to the industry is around 20 million it be great if he could settle the account on our behalf!

 

[serf]

Just hope all and sundry see this thread and see that this bullsh!t is not worth the paper it's written on as goes for most of these silly box ticking schemes that soon get overlooked when there's a shortage of food /commodity and kick the fekin lot into the rewilded stingers , makes you wonder just how things used to be able to function before these parasites got involved .....

 

[7610 super q]

Yes, over the coming years folks will be actively seeking the cheapest food they can get their hands on, rather than looking out for a pointless RT sticker. RT has to go, it's a cost/ burden we can not afford.

 

[SilliamWhale]

I’ll bet the farming student consumes Chinese rice.
Somehow all this doesn’t quite fit.

Forgot about all the rice, pasta, breakfast cereal etc - none of it Red Tractor

@FarmyStu - do you eat any of the above and how do you feel knowing it is not "red tractor assured"?

 

[Sid]

I don’t know but I bet him and Sid must be related!!!

Why do you say that?

 

[Jackov Altraids]

Exactly.

Those that want farm assurance should be the ones paying for it.

far as I can establish it’s only @FarmyStu so as the annual cost to the industry is around 20 million it be great if he could settle the account on our behalf!

That is absolutely the point.

It has no value because no buyer is willing to pay.

If you try to negotiate a premium with any buyer for any higher standard, they will refuse point blank.

This is because they know customers answer surveys on principle but buy on price.

RT only exists because we carry the cost.

Which would be fine if it provided increased sales abroad but we are a net importer, not an exporting country in the same way as New Zealand.