Red tractor out of control

[ajd132]

Latest announcement that all contract farms
Have to pay separately for the ‘privilege’ of being a member. Some of our contract farms have no yard or storage, everything comes through our yard and management and stored at a tascc assured central store. This a complete and utter tax and money grab, with no improvement of production standards. An already pointless scheme that adds little to no value taking more money away from farmers and distributing it out to others. I hope the NFU will do something about. It generally seems to be the same names on the boards for NFU, Red tractor and AHDB so you would there is some coherence.

 

[Daniel]

It must be pretty bad to have an arable farmer awake at 7am on a weekend?!

 

[ajd132]

It must be pretty bad to have an arable farmer awake at 7am on a weekend?!

I woke up really pee'd off about the whole thing and the pathetic reaction from nfu types on twitter to it yesterday defending it.

 

[Sid]

So are all the farms visually inspected by RT when you have your inspection?

I have had similar issue with organic inspection, wanting to make it 2 days because I have 2 dairies.
Switched inspection bodies and all done in a day last week.
But if it's under RT banner then it must have been consulted on? @An Gof might know more?

 

[Wooly]

I hope the NFU will do something about. It generally seems to be the same names on the boards for NFU, Red tractor and AHDB so you would there is some coherence.

There is your answer. No, as the same people that are supposed to represent farmers interests are also on the boards that make these bizaar rules that disadvantage farmers !!

 

[ajd132]

So are all the farms visually inspected by RT when you have your inspection?

I have had similar issue with organic inspection, wanting to make it 2 days because I have 2 dairies.
Switched inspection bodies and all done in a day last week.
But if it's under RT banner then it must have been consulted on? @An Gof might know more?

I imagine the inspection will take place at the same time, as it’s the same place and exactly the same. The extra cost all adds up to the industry and does nothing to promote production standards on these contract farms. @An Gof expressed disdain for it on twitter then quiet so I’m not sure if he was being sarcastic or not!

 

[Sid]

I imagine the inspection will take place at the same time, as it’s the same place and exactly the same. The extra cost all adds up to the industry and does nothing to promote production standards on these contract farms. @An Gof expressed disdain for it on twitter then quiet so I’m not sure if he was being sarcastic or not!

If it takes place at same time then no need to duplicate or as you have said it's only a cash cow for RT!

 

[An Gof]

I woke up really pee'd off about the whole thing and the pathetic reaction from nfu types on twitter to it yesterday defending it.

Just because they have a different point of view doesn’t make them pathetic.
The problem in the NFU is the gulf of opinion between many of the “bottom feeders” and those at the top of the food chain.
Feelings in the SW are quite high on the subject, our region even put a resolution to Council but regrettably that didn’t find favour.

 

[Sid]

Only point I would add is if these contract farms are well spread then travelling time could cut into inspection time?

Therefore I would suggest it would be better to restrict the number of contract farm to say 6 or a radius from the main farm say 15 miles? Just a thought?

 

[Daniel]

I woke up really pee'd off about the whole thing and the pathetic reaction from nfu types on twitter to it yesterday defending it.

The problem is with these schemes, and we are audited much more tightly on egg production than on arable, is that what starts out as a sensible aim to ensure minimum standards within the industry, always ends up suffering from mission creep.

The auditing bodies recruit more and more staff, who need to inspect more and more things to justify their existence, and all these extra staff are on good salaries and so more funding is needed to pay for the staff etc etc.

And the producer pays.

 

[kiwi pom]

Latest announcement that all contract farms
Have to pay separately for the ‘privilege’ of being a member. Six of our contract farms have no yard or storage, everything comes through our yard and management and stored at a tascc assured central store. This a complete and utter tax and money grab, with no improvement of production standards. An already pointless scheme that adds little to no value taking more money away from farmers and distributing it out to others. I hope the NFU will do something about. It generally seems to be the same names on the boards for NFU, Red tractor and AHDB so you would there is some coherence.

So none RT farms have been able to sell crops as assured because they got someone else to do the work for them?
Sounds like a good loop hole to tighten up or does the contract farmer own the crop?

 

[ajd132]

Just because they have a different point of view doesn’t make them pathetic.
The problem in the NFU is the gulf of opinion between many of the “bottom feeders” and those at the top of the food chain.
Feelings in the SW are quite high on the subject, our region even put a resolution to Council but regrettably that didn’t find favour.

Looks like a lot of conflict of interest. Seeing people on boards of both nfu red tractor and ahdb. It’s like an old boys club.
why wouldn’t that council listen?

 

[ajd132]

So none RT farms have been able to sell crops as assured because they got someone else to do the work for them?
Sounds like a good loop hole to tighten up or does the contract farmer own the crop?

It depends how the ‘contract farm’ is managed. For us most of them are all managed through our own base and have no working farm yard of their own. All chemical etc is stored in our farm yard and all grain goes straight into assured central storage. We turn up with our equipment and inputs and leave with our equipment and rubbish left over.

 

[B'o'B]

@kiwi pom has a valid point. Are you the farmer taking all the commercial risk, or are they claiming to be taking the commercial risk to stay “active farmers”?

 

[ajd132]

Only point I would add is if these contract farms are well spread then travelling time could cut into inspection time?

Therefore I would suggest it would be better to restrict the number of contract farm to say 6 or a radius from the main farm say 15 miles? Just a thought?

All within 3 miles and most neighbours. That’s the whole reason this thing is ridiculous. They don’t have farm yards or grain storage.
If a contract farm is 20 miles away and has grain and chemical etc stored on a working farm yard then I understand why it may be needed.

 

[Sid]

All within 3 miles and most neighbours. That’s the whole reason this thing is ridiculous. They don’t have farm yards or grain storage.
If a contract farm is 20 miles away and has grain and chemical etc stored on a working farm yard then I understand why it may be needed.

Ridiculous then, easily inspected within time frame.

Why do NFU council think it's such a great idea?

Looks like a lot of conflict of interest. Seeing people on boards of both nfu red tractor and ahdb. It’s like an old boys club.
why wouldn’t that council listen?

UK ag plc has too many of the same people running all these councils, boards and associations!

It's time for a massive shake up with fresh thinking younger , I mean below 50 not 60, driving UK ag forward.

Too much back slapping and funny handshakes!

 

[Daniel]

Ridiculous then, easily inspected within time frame.

Why do NFU council think it's such a great idea?



UK ag plc has too many of the same people running all these councils, boards and associations!

It's time for a massive shake up with fresh thinking younger , I mean below 50 not 60, driving UK ag forward.

Too much back slapping and funny handshakes!

Theres a lot of back slapping and mutual appreciation amongst a set of 30-40 something 'future farming leaders' on social media as well, so you'd only replace one club with another.

 

[ajd132]

Ridiculous then, easily inspected within time frame.

Why do NFU council think it's such a great idea?



UK ag plc has too many of the same people running all these councils, boards and associations!

It's time for a massive shake up with fresh thinking younger , I mean below 50 not 60, driving UK ag forward.

Too much back slapping and funny handshakes!

Some of The younger people on these boards are no different and have also been programmed.
I have come to realise that you can make a good wage from doing all this kind of thing, get on 3 or 4 boards, ingratiate yourself to the right people and hey presto!

 

[ajd132]

Theres a lot of back slapping and mutual appreciation amongst a set of 30-40 something 'future farming leaders' on social media as well, so you'd only replace one club with another.

Correct, they have been plugged in to the matrix.

 

[Sid]

Theres a lot of back slapping and mutual appreciation amongst a set of 30-40 something 'future farming leaders' on social media as well, so you'd only replace one club with another.

I know of one only too well!

Some of The younger people on these boards are no different and have also been programmed.
I have come to realise that you can make a good wage from doing all this kind of thing, get on 3 or 4 boards, ingratiate yourself to the right people and hey presto!

Hey presto and your an expert!!

There is one I know of that sits on various national boards. But you NEVER see them mixing with grass roots members even at regional meetings.