The Red Tractor ACCS referendum

[An Gof]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1362057588544782336

closing ranks

Well BRC, if the RT logo is underpinning your brands, how about paying us for it?

 

[SilliamWhale]

Genuine question and I mean absolutely no disrespect to all the hard work you have put in,
What is your desired outcome?
Do you want some other "body" to create your desired scheme and then they invest their time and money to create it and you reap the benefits? It just doesn't seem like a good deal for them (I suppose there is the argument that farmers are paying AHDB anyway) and if they did would you get the outcome you really wanted?

Or are you planning to be part of the building the "equal to imports" that is suggested (IMO that name isn't saleable at all).

I think there is a few on here that think you could right a scheme in an afternoon and implement it the next morning.. I think there's quite a bit more time and money to go into it...

Most of us don't need the scheme.

 

[SilliamWhale]

Oh I think fair credit to you!! And it's defiantly worth a try

I just have this feeling that the good old saying "If you want something done right you have to do it yourself" comes into play, now that probably would be a group of likeminded farmers forming the business.

IMO at least a mil (at baseline minimum) is required to get it going.

And the famers that don't agree with you can do whatever they want.. they can start there own.

I would think that AHDB would get the good out of it in the long run through increased levy's or similar (but would that cost more than is currently being paid.. Who Knows)

At the end of the day its just corn grown on a stem. Its nothing complicated. Its only made complicated by people who don't grow the stuff thinking its different with a sticker

 

[Pigless]

Internationally Recognised Standard

All we need to do is hire a boat, load it up, send it out to sea and back to port, then we can sell it to anybody at an imported standard!!

 

[Humble Village Farmer]

Most of us don't need the scheme.

Desired outcome would be the ability to sell UK farm standard into the same market as imports sell at the moment.

That could pave the way for red tractor to attract a premium or die.

The idea that we are going to continue being regulated by a non government "not for profit" possibly supermarket controlled cartel is enough for me to think the unthinkable.

 

[SilliamWhale]

Desired outcome would be the ability to sell UK farm standard into the same market as imports sell at the moment.

That could pave the way for red tractor to attract a premium or die.

The idea that we are going to continue being regulated by a non government "not for profit" possibly supermarket controlled cartel is enough for me to think the unthinkable.

I totally agree. We are sleepwalking into this.

Its not about the costs of Red Tractor that fires me up about this (although I resent the whole charade for that) its the double standards aided and abetted by groups who are meant to represent farmers and articulate their view. Its really hideous and not moral.

 

[homefarm]

I too have emailed Martin Grantly-Smith today. I sent him this https://countrysquire.co.uk/2021/02/17/farm-assurance-schemes/

posted earlier today.

I found it the best simple description of why RT assurance is not working for us.
AHDB are the people who can launch a simple scheme. They already have the manpower and connections.
I think they are responsible for the grain passports at the moment.
The new passport could just have our new logo printed on where we stick the RT sticker now, and be covered up with the RT one for the people who still see the value of RT.

AHDB will have to act on levy payers demands, if there is seen to be enough demand.
Everyone needs to contact AHDB about this and not just the man at the top every employee of AHDB needs to be contacted so there is pressure from farmers but also support from within.

 

[MRT]

All we need to do is hire a boat, load it up, send it out to sea and back to port, then we can sell it to anybody at an imported standard!!

Harder to do it with livestock if live export is banned (probably genuinely cheaper to run a barge in a circle than RT)

 

[Daniel]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1362057588544782336

closing ranks

There have clearly been a lot of desperate phone calls going out from Red Tractor Towers over the last week, begging retail groups to back them publicly, and why wouldn't they? It doesn't cost the retailers anything.

 

[bobk]

There have clearly been a lot of desperate phone calls going out from Red Tractor Towers over the last week, begging retail groups to back them publicly, and why wouldn't they? It doesn't cost the retailers anything.

Bet they didn't phone Sainsbury

 

[tepapa]

There have clearly been a lot of desperate phone calls going out from Red Tractor Towers over the last week, begging retail groups to back them publicly, and why wouldn't they? It doesn't cost the retailers anything.

And after retail back RT, the farmers can turn around and ask them if it's that important that they pay a premium for it. Bet we'd have to wait a long time for a reply if they ever did reply.

 

[Feldspar]

Took this photo today after the previous photo on here of sugar on a supermarket shelf.

I turned that top middle pack around for the photo in order to show the prominant location of the RT logo that Silver Spoon are so "proud to display".

I also thought it was interesting to compare it to the Tate + Lyle pack next to it which clearly has the Fairtrade logo on the front of the pack. Clearly they place value on this logo.

It's a strange situation when we UK farmers are really only asking for Fairtrade also...!



View attachment 941620

I used your picture to make a point to the British Retail Consortium about their double standards. Hope you don't mind. It made the point nicely.

 

[Wooly]

Bet they didn't phone Sainsbury

........ or M and S !?!

So not all major supermarkets think RT is important. Just the cheap ones,

 

[bobk]

........ or M and S !?!

So not all major supermarkets think RT is important. Just the cheap ones,

There you go , and everyone loves M & S

 

[Daniel]

I used your picture to make a point to the British Retail Consortium about their double standards. Hope you don't mind. It made the point nicely.

Don't be modest, it was an excellent thread!

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1362107586816925699

 

[principal skinner]

It’s easy to see where this is going to go, Mosely and his buddies will have spent the last ten days on the phone begging the retailers to demand RT standards for produce. We will be told that RT is demanded by our end market, game over.

 

[jonnieboy]

It’s easy to see where this is going to go, Mosely and his buddies will have spent the last ten days on the phone begging the retailers to demand RT standards for produce. We will be told that RT is demanded by our end market, game over.

So I guess we ask red tractor to get us the premium we deserve from said end market
Come on red tractor we know your watching
Where’s our premium?

 

[steveR]

They want RT, but only want to give £20/t.

Methinks the BS business model is looking increasingly ropey...

 

[steveR]

Absolute complete rubbish. The whole point of this is that we have to have higher assurance levels on. Our milling grains. It’s completely unworkable.
Jim Mosley mentioned this when he was on his pedestal in the last meeting.
Resist!

How much malting grain is imported to the UK? I know we are barley exporters, but as we all know merchants move product around to take advantage of price differentials...

 

[FarmyStu]

Bet they didn't phone Sainsbury

I'm trying to stay out of this thread as it's all got a bit bonkers. But I will make this minor contribution; I keep seeing these constant references to Sainsbury's dropping RT standards and thought someone would have corrected it. Whilst it is correct to state that they no longer put the RT logo on their packaging, they have most definitely NOT lowered their standards. They have stated that RT standards are their BASELINE below which they will not go. Their preference is for even higher standards. Their stance supports "gold plating". It does not in any way support "produced to import standards". Using Sainsbury's to support the case for dropping out of assurance schemes is ironic to say the least.

Here's an extract from an article about their CEO at the time they dropped out:

"Speaking at the NFU conference in Birmingham, Mr King said Sainsbury's did not want to support a label that sets the bar low and does not differentiate the product enough in customers' eyes. Although Red Tractor and the NFU claim that the logo represents good standards of animal welfare, environmental protection and traceability, investigations by welfare groups have concluded that the assurance scheme offers few benefits beyond the UK's legal minimum standards."