Red Tractor virtual audit - how it went!

[Barleymow]

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......

We might get a fee reduction too

 

[FG.]

We might get a fee reduction too

In your dreams, I'd say. ?

 

[yellow belly]

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.

he is very good
Had a workshop from when he did moter repaired 2 years ago before working as workshop manager for a plant hire and ground works business
point is mots can still be done Cars and vans still need servicing
he had one in 70000 miles on the clock not been serviced
mots only needed on older vehicles but all vehicles need servicing
if everyone delays mots when the delay is unwound double the vehicles will need doing ,rates for the job will rise
there are not enough Properly trained fitters in the country to do double the jobs

 

[yellow belly]

Had mine today , did it via Whatsapp it went better than i thought it would and took 2 hours with no loss of conection
We had one non compliance Our moisture meter is out of test.. When i asked how do i to get it calibrated as no one is currently running testing clinics .
The assessor sugested i take it up with SAI when they contact me . I would have thought that allowances should have been made for issues caused by Covid How can they expect people to get equipment tested when they are not willing to visit farms themselves is arrogont IMO

Open field are supplying a sample of know moisture grain to self calibrate
any farmer that dosnot re check their moisture meter regularly is either over drying under drying both add cost to the grain
I regularly recheck the moisture meter during the season
should be done every day it is used and on any change in Condition variety Ect
it should be done because we are professional

 

[curlietailz]

Had mine today , did it via Whatsapp it went better than i thought it would and took 2 hours with no loss of conection
We had one non compliance Our moisture meter is out of test.. When i asked how do i to get it calibrated as no one is currently running testing clinics .
The assessor sugested i take it up with SAI when they contact me . I would have thought that allowances should have been made for issues caused by Covid How can they expect people to get equipment tested when they are not willing to visit farms themselves is arrogont IMO

I use Sinar MCal. It’s software you put onyour laptop. Plug you m m in and add the special sample and it magically calibrates itself and prints a certificate off that is compliant
Get 2-3 samples a year and costs. “Ahem”. £150 a year.
that works out at about 8p per ton. So I’m happy paying it

 

[curlietailz]

Just had my Virtual Audit
Passed okay
The biggest problems:- cut out 3 or 4 times due to crap 4G signal but easily reconnected again
I couldn’t fathom out how to get the camera to face forward !! Took son to fiddle with it eventually ok
Battery on phone nearly ran out but I had backup power bank

other than that it went smoothly
Happy Happy for another year

I think I prefer to sit down and chat with her, face to face is better, but I do like the Portal and will continue updating on that

gonna treat everyone to a takeaway Parmo for tea as a treat and have the weekend off I reckon

 

[DRC]

Had mine today , did it via Whatsapp it went better than i thought it would and took 2 hours with no loss of conection
We had one non compliance Our moisture meter is out of test.. When i asked how do i to get it calibrated as no one is currently running testing clinics .
The assessor sugested i take it up with SAI when they contact me . I would have thought that allowances should have been made for issues caused by Covid How can they expect people to get equipment tested when they are not willing to visit farms themselves is arrogont IMO

I just tell them I check it with two other neighbours and they seem happy enough with that.
It’s no skin of their nose anyway. If I send a load of slightly over moisture wheat, it’ll be me getting the deduction.

 

[Gedd]

I just tell them I check it with two other neighbours and they seem happy enough with that.
It’s no skin of their nose anyway. If I send a load of slightly over moisture wheat, it’ll be me getting the deduction.

Wouldn't accept that here last time

 

[carbonfibre farmer]

We had ours this afternoon.

Different assessor to normal.

Went pretty well actually. Phone /Wi-Fi signal did cut in and out a bit but nothing insurmountable.

 

[casper74]

Did mine last week, absolute nightmare, I'd uploaded documents onto the red tractor portal 3 days before my assessment, assessor text me to say he's noticed what i'd done and all good, then when It came to the actual assessment all documents i'd uploaded were gone nowhere to be seen, then I had crap internet connection kept losing connection, it all took about 3 hours. only thing I didn't have was name of local bee keeper written down and my Fert spreading records (which were in tractor but I couldn't be bothered to walk to far end of yard for them)
Then I got a email from an auction mart saying I wasn't farm assured anymore!! I rang a mobile number which assessor gave me to ask why not assured anymore, They said because I hadn't paid ( I paid in April) but she couldn't understand what had happened, so said I was assured, Then got another email from someone else saying i'm not and the assessment I'd had was now void and would have to do it again, to which I told them exactly where to shove it and I want my money back. I then received a number of emails from different people some saying I am assured, some saying I aren't.
However at the end of a complete nightmare of a assessment and they admitted they were wrong I am now assured (still a waste of time and makes no difference)
Worst part no stickers sent you have to print them and glue them yourself (times must be hard)

 

[Gedd]

Did mine last week, absolute nightmare, I'd uploaded documents onto the red tractor portal 3 days before my assessment, assessor text me to say he's noticed what i'd done and all good, then when It came to the actual assessment all documents i'd uploaded were gone nowhere to be seen, then I had crap internet connection kept losing connection, it all took about 3 hours. only thing I didn't have was name of local bee keeper written down and my Fert spreading records (which were in tractor but I couldn't be bothered to walk to far end of yard for them)
Then I got a email from an auction mart saying I wasn't farm assured anymore!! I rang a mobile number which assessor gave me to ask why not assured anymore, They said because I hadn't paid ( I paid in April) but she couldn't understand what had happened, so said I was assured, Then got another email from someone else saying i'm not and the assessment I'd had was now void and would have to do it again, to which I told them exactly where to shove it and I want my money back. I then received a number of emails from different people some saying I am assured, some saying I aren't.
However at the end of a complete nightmare of a assessment and they admitted they were wrong I am now assured (still a waste of time and makes no difference)
Worst part no stickers sent you have to print them and glue them yourself (times must be hard)

Time we all stood together and told them where to shove it

 

[bobk]

What a lot of hassle for nothing!

They will either do my audit on farm or I will be out of the scheme, im not wasting my time with any of the above nonsense just to keep them in a job!

I looked on the RT portal to download documents , be fooked if I know how it works ,

 

[roscoe erf]

We might get a fee reduction too

i'll have what ever your smoking

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Time we all stood together and told them where to shove it

I’m ready if everyone else is

 

[roscoe erf]

I’m ready if everyone else is

done mate now you

 

[APJ]

Virtual audit done this week, much prefer that over the usual way, can upload all the paperwork when it suits you, then a quick whiz around on the phone job done. If we are sticking with red tractor I hope we have this option in the future.

 

[MrNoo]

Open field are supplying a sample of know moisture grain to self calibrate
any farmer that dosnot re check their moisture meter regularly is either over drying under drying both add cost to the grain
I regularly recheck the moisture meter during the season
should be done every day it is used and on any change in Condition variety Ect
it should be done because we are professional

Whilst I agree with you to a degree, my retired Marconi has never been calibrated since we've had it from new, even to this day it's "cock on". This item was made in the late 40's early 50's, Dr Egglestone told me the date it was made but I forget when.
I am amazed that all these new fancy gadgets go out of calibration so quickly, we use them for what?? 8weeks? and the rest of the year sit doing nothing. Even a simple Casio watch is more accurate.
I have a couple of mobile meters and the Marconi, I also check mine against next door's to see if they are thereabouts, which they always are.
Just another box ticking exercise in my view, fine if you wish to cut all your crops at 14.9% but in reality it doesnt work that way.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

done mate now you

I wouldn’t bother if I only sold store cattle

 

[tullah]

I think I'd rather take the hit than be downtrodden by the clipboard brigade.

 

[yellow belly]

Whilst I agree with you to a degree, my retired Marconi has never been calibrated since we've had it from new, even to this day it's "cock on". This item was made in the late 40's early 50's, Dr Egglestone told me the date it was made but I forget when.
I am amazed that all these new fancy gadgets go out of calibration so quickly, we use them for what?? 8weeks? and the rest of the year sit doing nothing. Even a simple Casio watch is more accurate.
I have a couple of mobile meters and the Marconi, I also check mine against next door's to see if they are thereabouts, which they always are.
Just another box ticking exercise in my view, fine if you wish to cut all your crops at 14.9% but in reality it doesnt work that way.

if you have more than one meter then you can do,self checks
but is is still better to have a accurately tested sample to of your own grain to calibrate you meters to
for me it helps I have openfields main grain lab with a mile of my farm so can get sample checked

I have found this particularly valuable when starting harvest to check the grain straight off the combine
over the year my meter (have 3 now ) has given very variable reading on fresh harvested grain between 14 and 20 %
the reaction mast farmers when getting a 20%reading is its not ripe wait
but by getting an accurate cross check we usually find the sample is nearer the 14 % and get a couple of extra days harvesting dry grain in
leave the sample in a bag for a week then retest and the meter gives a reliable reading
I have found this with all farm meters old Marconi expensive sinar apa cheaper spaldins
the key is to be sceptical till checked out
the bite test with experience can give an idea if it is wet or dry 20 % wheat always bites wet rape or linseed is harder
fresh combines or dried beans always very hard to get a reliable consistant reading