Red Tractor virtual audit - how it went!

[DrWazzock]

Our local dealer sent our meter away to Martin lishman to get tested instead of running their annual clinic at the shop.

Well hey ho, you will soon know if its wrong anyway when the first load gets sampled at the mill intake. Try arguing the toss with them then. "My grain merchant believed my grain moisture meter and cancelled the deduction." said no farmer ever.

 

[tullah]

I agree. If the government can suspend MOT tests for six months, which will almost certainly end up costing lives, given the amount of annual tests carried out which are failed by vehicles in a dangerous, close to lethal state, then why can't Red Tractor could do the same. Suspend testing for six months and do it properly when testing is safe for them to resume.

In fact cleanliness around the grainstore and yard will generally improve as we won't be wasting so much of our limited time writing up how many insects we found. So it's win all the way round except for the clipboard brigade.

 

[Bald Rick]

Failed ours miserably.

Over 6 hours and just finishing updating paperwork to be compliant

 

[Farma Parma]

So basically a phone call, ten minutes wandering round with a smart phone and having your paperwork in order? That's it for 12 months, you can now sell your produce to anyone you want?

You'll be in trouble now for telling people it was easy.

Thats the way its been for years Farm Assurance its a few hours spent updating records & aslong as your not seen to be doing things illegal thats pretty much it
& all that for the thick end of £300 charge + other expences worst case £500 a year to say your ticking all the boxes.
Its the biggest con ever, none of which which can add onto grain leaving the farm,
Oh but its Assured. from Day one of this con job oh you will get £2/3ton back for being in it Yeah & a seen a pig fly past the kitchen window

 

[DrWazzock]

In fact cleanliness around the grainstore and yard will generally improve as we won't be wasting so much of our limited time writing up how many insects we found. So it's win all the way round except for the clipboard brigade.

Precisely. Particularly where we dont have office staff, its surprising how many real improvements you can make if you aren't faffing about with paperwork.

 

[fieldfarmer]

Many people still getting their mots done
one independent car fitter I know has been flat out doing most and repairs since he was made redundant at the start of the lockdown

So he been made redundant, but has acquired premises and set up a full mot test station and is repairing and mot testing cars all since the lockdown. Blimey he's good.

 

[Farma Parma]

To be honest i like the whole idea of it & how it makes you think about keeping stuff in order & all that but its always at an expence we could all do without.

 

[Farma Parma]

Failed ours miserably.

Over 6 hours and just finishing updating paperwork to be compliant

Why? u must have passed last year so whats changed ??? should i be worried ??? not had mine yet...... the lass who normally does it wasnt keen on this mobile phone audit

 

[fieldfarmer]

It's very commendable that people are still getting MOT's done, but the point I am making is that if Gov can do it with MOT's then It wouldn't hurt Red Tractor to suspend farm inspections for six months. How can it possibly be done properly when done virtually?

Passed my audit last month, just had a email saying sprayer has to be tested in the next 14 days or I have to ask for a extension or I will be suspend, what makes them think a sprayer is so much more important than all those cars that have been given a 6 month extension.

 

[Gedd]

Just had inspector on the phone trying to tie me down to a video assessment couldn't agree on a date/time so he put it back until they doing farm visits again whenever that maybe

 

[Farma Parma]

Just had inspector on the phone trying to tie me down to a video assessment couldn't agree on a date/time so he put it back until they doing farm visits again whenever that maybe

I might do the same ive got stuff planned for weeks now if they ring up its sorry you had your chance before lockdown

 

[fieldfarmer]

Just had inspector on the phone trying to tie me down to a video assessment couldn't agree on a date/time so he put it back until they doing farm visits again whenever that maybe

But be warned, I was told they haven't enough inspectors to do the tests in a timely manner after lockdown is lifted and will be suspending people who are to far overdue, I thought that was a bit far fetched but wouldn't put anything past them.

 

[Gedd]

I might do the same ive got stuff planned for weeks now if they ring up its sorry you had your chance before lockdown

Yeh that's what I told him I busy well we do it on an evening he said we all dont finish at 5 he wasnt willing for me to cancel if I was to busy he was ok about though just put it down as unable to do video inspection

 

[Danllan]

Just out of curiosity, how has leaving it affected your business with regards to prices etc?

We moved from selling lamb direct to slaughter, to selling as stores + breeders. And from beef going to market or, sometimes, dealers to marketing ourselves, where possible as whole sides cut and boxed to order, but also in set-weight boxes, mainly to people staying in holiday lets - a captive market, until recently...

Allowing for the fact we get rid of the lambs earlier, and that they are lighter, the money works out the same; but, it leaves us with a lot less work and a lot more grass.

It's a different story with the beef; it's more effort taking them for slaughter ourselves, but even when that is factored in we see about £200 more, net, per beast - that's on a typical carcase weight of a bit over 300kgs.

If you're thinking about it, do a bit of research and you'll probably find you'll be better off.

 

[Barleymow]

Passed my audit last month, just had a email saying sprayer has to be tested in the next 14 days or I have to ask for a extension or I will be suspend, what makes them think a sprayer is so much more important than all those cars that have been given a 6 month extension.

You can do a self assessment your self they will send you a form ,took me 2 mins to fill in. I sent mine off sprayer test needs to be booked within 2 weeks once lockdown os finished what ever that means I still waiting for their definition of it

 

[fieldfarmer]

You can do a self assessment your self they will send you a form ,took me 2 mins to fill in. I sent mine off sprayer test needs to be booked within 2 weeks once lockdown os finished what ever that means I still waiting for their definition of it

Yeah sent that form off at the end of last week, was a bit surprised that I have to keep asking for a extension, seems we aren't all being told the same thing.

 

[Sid]

I agree. If the government can suspend MOT tests for six months, which will almost certainly end up costing lives, given the amount of annual tests carried out which are failed by vehicles in a dangerous, close to lethal state, then why can't Red Tractor could do the same. Suspend testing for six months and do it properly when testing is safe for them to resume.

You still have to keep your car in a road worthy condition.
You can't check the wear in a ball joint virtual nor an exhaust gas check.

You can check cattle passports, vet records, etc virtually.
I have found any meetings /inspections that I have been in virtually more concise and easy tbh.

 

[beardface]

Can you tell them to jog on until the end of Covid? Don't see why we should be forced to make even more work for ourselves just to pander to the mafia.

 

[Handy Andy]

Passed my audit last month, just had a email saying sprayer has to be tested in the next 14 days or I have to ask for a extension or I will be suspend, what makes them think a sprayer is so much more important than all those cars that have been given a 6 month extension.

Exactly!

 

[FG.]

Did mine last week, with my normal assessor.
Not ideal, as very busy this time of year, but went ok.
There is no reason why it couldn't have been done in the normal.
Maybe they'll try and do it this way, ongoing, to save money......