Red Tractor

principal skinner

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Bedfordshire
Has anybody else received the following email, asking for how it should be run in the future
Dear Red Tractor Member,



As we move towards a new era in British farming, it feels like the right time to reflect on just how far we have come as an industry. Many of you have been producing great food for decades, adapting and reacting to the challenges and opportunities that come from working in an ever-changing environment.

With the public paying greater attention to some of the fundamental activities which maintain our national well-being and the end of the transition period with the European Union edging closer, it feels like farming is about to go through another period of significant change. I want you to know that we are working hard to ensure that your membership of Red Tractor Assurance supports your business every step of the way.

Established following the BSE and other food scares two decades ago, Red Tractor has been an incredible success story. The scheme was created to help restore trust in our industry – and that is exactly what, together, we’ve been able to do. I say with complete confidence that the assurance scheme we have today and the food producers we have in this country have helped to establish British food and farming as the benchmark for quality across the world.

To maintain this position, and in particular, make sure that British produce is well placed to capitalise on the new trade opportunities which will come from Britain’s exit from the European Union, our standards must be kept up to date. Brexit aside, consumers are more aware than ever about the provenance of what they buy and with the UK aiming to be Net Zero by 2050, the challenges facing producers are unprecedented. With this in mind, being able to account for how you operate your business will become more important than ever.

Having an accreditation assurance scheme, that is not only recognised by consumers and the supply chain but also understands how farmers operate, will be essential as we enter a period that will mean great change for many farmers.

Over the last 12 months we have been working closely with all the farming organisations which represent you, together with farmers, vets, processors and retailers; representatives from every stage of the food chain, from farm to pack, to make sure that our scheme provides the best possible value for money.

They have studied consumer trends, reviewed the latest science and evidence, as well as benchmarked the scheme against competitors and industry best practice.

Armed with this, in the coming weeks we will be conducting a comprehensive review of Red Tractor standards, which will become effective in November 2021 – 4 years since the last. Responses to this review will be invited through the farming organisations that represent you.

Additionally, we will be seeking your individual views on issues that matter to you and your business. I know this is a busy time for you all, which is why we’ve done everything we can to keep this as simple as possible. Our priority is to use this to better understand your businesses and your views.

We will be in touch very soon to explain how you can have your say and help us write the next chapter in Red Tractor’s story.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts as we go through this review process, at such a critical time for our country and UK farming.

With best wishes,



Jims_Sig.jpg


JIM MOSELEY

CHIEF EXECUTIVE

www.redtractor.org.uk/rewards
 

Jackov Altraids

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Devon
Dear Mr Moseley,

Red tractor was established after food scares which were not the fault of farmers.

The new era in farming means we face competing against produce of lower standards and costs due to imports not needing to meet UK's basic standards with help from the vote of the Chairman of your organisation.

My reply to you is the same as her attitude to us.

 
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Steevo

Member
Location
Gloucestershire
Fast forward 5 years....

BPS money pretty much stopped. Farmers can’t afford to keep producing commodities at a loss any longer.

- Food production effectively stops
- Who needs Red Tractor any more?!

I can’t see what future they have to be planning for!

Without annual payments to farmers, the government also lose their control though their “penalty” method of deducting 3% or 5% of BPS for missing ear tags, passports/records, margins etc.

We can but hope anyway...!
 
Most of you have it very easy.
Today was the deadline with a weeks notice to get a heap of paperwork together for a "virtual" audit for getting a small premium for giving my cull sows away to Germany.
Tomorrow I have an audit on farm for major retailer.
In the new year early on it will be Red Tractor and RSPCA assured audits.
Other retailers at some point too.
 

redsloe

Member
Location
Cornwall
Has anybody else received the following email, asking for how it should be run in the future
Dear Red Tractor Member,



As we move towards a new era in British farming, it feels like the right time to reflect on just how far we have come as an industry. Many of you have been producing great food for decades, adapting and reacting to the challenges and opportunities that come from working in an ever-changing environment.

With the public paying greater attention to some of the fundamental activities which maintain our national well-being and the end of the transition period with the European Union edging closer, it feels like farming is about to go through another period of significant change. I want you to know that we are working hard to ensure that your membership of Red Tractor Assurance supports your business every step of the way.

Established following the BSE and other food scares two decades ago, Red Tractor has been an incredible success story. The scheme was created to help restore trust in our industry – and that is exactly what, together, we’ve been able to do. I say with complete confidence that the assurance scheme we have today and the food producers we have in this country have helped to establish British food and farming as the benchmark for quality across the world.

To maintain this position, and in particular, make sure that British produce is well placed to capitalise on the new trade opportunities which will come from Britain’s exit from the European Union, our standards must be kept up to date. Brexit aside, consumers are more aware than ever about the provenance of what they buy and with the UK aiming to be Net Zero by 2050, the challenges facing producers are unprecedented. With this in mind, being able to account for how you operate your business will become more important than ever.

Having an accreditation assurance scheme, that is not only recognised by consumers and the supply chain but also understands how farmers operate, will be essential as we enter a period that will mean great change for many farmers.

Over the last 12 months we have been working closely with all the farming organisations which represent you, together with farmers, vets, processors and retailers; representatives from every stage of the food chain, from farm to pack, to make sure that our scheme provides the best possible value for money.

They have studied consumer trends, reviewed the latest science and evidence, as well as benchmarked the scheme against competitors and industry best practice.

Armed with this, in the coming weeks we will be conducting a comprehensive review of Red Tractor standards, which will become effective in November 2021 – 4 years since the last. Responses to this review will be invited through the farming organisations that represent you.

Additionally, we will be seeking your individual views on issues that matter to you and your business. I know this is a busy time for you all, which is why we’ve done everything we can to keep this as simple as possible. Our priority is to use this to better understand your businesses and your views.

We will be in touch very soon to explain how you can have your say and help us write the next chapter in Red Tractor’s story.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts as we go through this review process, at such a critical time for our country and UK farming.

With best wishes,



Jims_Sig.jpg


JIM MOSELEY

CHIEF EXECUTIVE

www.redtractor.org.uk/rewards
Do they think we are all stupid enough to believe them! We all know there is no farmer on earth that would have thought up some of the stuff they check!
 

Werzle

Member
Location
Midlands
Has anybody else received the following email, asking for how it should be run in the future
Dear Red Tractor Member,



As we move towards a new era in British farming, it feels like the right time to reflect on just how far we have come as an industry. Many of you have been producing great food for decades, adapting and reacting to the challenges and opportunities that come from working in an ever-changing environment.

With the public paying greater attention to some of the fundamental activities which maintain our national well-being and the end of the transition period with the European Union edging closer, it feels like farming is about to go through another period of significant change. I want you to know that we are working hard to ensure that your membership of Red Tractor Assurance supports your business every step of the way.

Established following the BSE and other food scares two decades ago, Red Tractor has been an incredible success story. The scheme was created to help restore trust in our industry – and that is exactly what, together, we’ve been able to do. I say with complete confidence that the assurance scheme we have today and the food producers we have in this country have helped to establish British food and farming as the benchmark for quality across the world.

To maintain this position, and in particular, make sure that British produce is well placed to capitalise on the new trade opportunities which will come from Britain’s exit from the European Union, our standards must be kept up to date. Brexit aside, consumers are more aware than ever about the provenance of what they buy and with the UK aiming to be Net Zero by 2050, the challenges facing producers are unprecedented. With this in mind, being able to account for how you operate your business will become more important than ever.

Having an accreditation assurance scheme, that is not only recognised by consumers and the supply chain but also understands how farmers operate, will be essential as we enter a period that will mean great change for many farmers.

Over the last 12 months we have been working closely with all the farming organisations which represent you, together with farmers, vets, processors and retailers; representatives from every stage of the food chain, from farm to pack, to make sure that our scheme provides the best possible value for money.

They have studied consumer trends, reviewed the latest science and evidence, as well as benchmarked the scheme against competitors and industry best practice.

Armed with this, in the coming weeks we will be conducting a comprehensive review of Red Tractor standards, which will become effective in November 2021 – 4 years since the last. Responses to this review will be invited through the farming organisations that represent you.

Additionally, we will be seeking your individual views on issues that matter to you and your business. I know this is a busy time for you all, which is why we’ve done everything we can to keep this as simple as possible. Our priority is to use this to better understand your businesses and your views.

We will be in touch very soon to explain how you can have your say and help us write the next chapter in Red Tractor’s story.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts as we go through this review process, at such a critical time for our country and UK farming.

With best wishes,



Jims_Sig.jpg


JIM MOSELEY

CHIEF EXECUTIVE

www.redtractor.org.uk/rewards
Yep.
 

Clive

Staff Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lichfield
This just about weighs up the benefits of the RT for farmers......... none............and when one of the biggest supermarkets, Sainsburys, ditched RT on all of its products as they believed it confused the consumers, I wonder what the success is.


View attachment 926049

I would add no integrity, Cronyism management and unaware consumers to that graphic

where was that published ?
 

An Gof

Member
Location
Cornwall
E Mail to soften you all up ahead of going through the motions of a consultation.
Some of the stuff coming down the line they want to include has absolutely nothing to do with food safety or traceability which is what it was all about.
Now they want ethical employment included in the standards 🤦
RT WILL become the policeman for Government that WE pay for and be the route to a licence to farm by the back door.
I keep telling NFU that they continue to add cost to us and make us less competitive just at the very time when we have to be competitive.
Say what you like but there is no real value or return in RT for cereal farmers. We produce a commodity whose price is determined by world markets. The great majority of what we sell is not processed and does not have added value. Our market price is determined by the world price it’s just that we have to reach an extra level to get that basic price in our own market. Absolute madness.
 

Wooly

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Romney Marsh
I would add no integrity, Cronyism management and unaware consumers to that graphic

where was that published ?

I think it was in the Farmers Guardian.

The Farmers Guardian did an excellent anti RT piece a few weeks ago. Strangely, RT paid for a big advert in the FG last week.................. perhaps it was a ploy by RT to stop FG doing a follow up !?! :unsure:
 

Clive

Staff Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lichfield
I think it was in the Farmers Guardian.

The Farmers Guardian did an excellent anti RT piece a few weeks ago. Strangely, RT paid for a big advert in the FG last week.................. perhaps it was a ploy by RT to stop FG doing a follow up !?! :unsure:

and never a bad word was ever printed again !


well i never ....... surely thats not how it works ! 🤣🤣🤣🤣

@Guy Smith - if you want to advertise here we will take your money

but it’s not “your” money, it’s British farmers money isn’t it ? !
 

Agrivator

Member
A useful survey would be to ask British consumers:

''When you do your food shop, what factors do you take into consideration?''

I would expect those who bothered to reply to give answers like ''quality'', value for money'', home-produced rather than imported''. Some might mention ''high welfare'' for meat products.

But I would be very surprised if more than a tiny percentage mentioned ''Farm Assurance or Red tractor.
 

Clive

Staff Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lichfield
The email says that the organisations that represent us will respond to the review on our behalf ?

assuming they refer to the NFU here who only represent SOME of us this must be a bad joke considering the NFU part ownership and cronyism filled board of ex NFU office holders and board members

How disconnected can Jim Mosley be from actual farmers ? and did he actually claim in that email to be the saviour of British Agriculture?

Established following the BSE and other food scares two decades ago, Red Tractor has been an incredible success story. The scheme was created to help restore trust in our industry – and that is exactly what, together, we’ve been able to do. I say with complete confidence that the assurance scheme we have today and the food producers we have in this country have helped to establish British food and farming as the benchmark for quality across the world.

Really Jim ? !!

When you read this my business exists despite you NOT because of you
 
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SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 79 42.0%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 66 35.1%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 30 16.0%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 7 3.7%

Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

  • 1,291
  • 1
As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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