The Red Tractor ACCS referendum

Would you leave or remain a Red Tractor ACCS member ?

  • Yes, I would resign my Red Tractor (ACCS) membership and join a new "equal to imports" Scheme

    Votes: 659 96.1%
  • No, I would remain in the Red Tractor scheme

    Votes: 27 3.9%

  • Total voters
    686
RTs customers aren't limted to farmers. They sell the scheme to buyers. Each is pointless without the other. They have to balance one against the other. Buyers want more, farmers want less. If they get the balance wrong, they're finished.

As most commercial farmers are members, but only a limited number of buyers are, it would seem the balance isn't quite right at the minute.

This is where it gets murky.

They charge us for a scheme and call it promotion. They charge buyers for the scheme and call it assurance.
 

FarmyStu

Member
Location
NE Lincs
Yes, correct. 3 yearly sprayer testing at SQC. Thinking of ringing them to see if they'll assure farmers in England.
RT and SQC are different aren't they? RT operates in Scotland as far as I know. So do RT accredited farmers in Scotland only have to test sprayers every 3 years? Maybe there aren't any RT cereal farmers in Scotland? What exactly is it you are saying?
 

Grass And Grain

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Yorks
RT and SQC are different aren't they? RT operates in Scotland as far as I know. So do RT accredited farmers in Scotland only have to test sprayers every 3 years? Maybe there aren't any RT cereal farmers in Scotland? What exactly is it you are saying?
I was meaning for me, as a small farmer, annual vs 36 mth sprayer testing interval will make a bit of a saving. So, can I join SQC even though I live in England?

If I can, and SQC are totally separate to RT, then RT might quickly have no arable customers.
 

FarmyStu

Member
Location
NE Lincs
I was meaning for me, as a small farmer, annual vs 36 mth sprayer testing interval will make a bit of a saving. So, can I join SQC even though I live in England?

If I can, and SQC are totally separate to RT, then RT might quickly have no arable customers.
Well SQC seem to be a commercial setup so give them a call. They could perhaps set up "EQC" in England and save you all lots of effort. I've stated many times I'm all in favour of competition. So if this idea, or your own plans, are successful then that's great 👍
 

Jackall

Member
I’ve just done a quick search on ritual livestock slaughter. Halal kosher. It seems if your livestock is produced to rt standards it is not allowed to have the rt sticker if the animals aren’t stunned. I’m no fan of this slaughter but it seems that Farmers are producing some animals that will never be allowed to get the non existent premium.
 

Drillman

Member
Mixed Farmer
Well SQC seem to be a commercial setup so give them a call. They could perhaps set up "EQC" in England and save you all lots of effort. I've stated many times I'm all in favour of competition. So if this idea, or your own plans, are successful then that's great 👍

seems as though there’s a bit more sense on a few items with these guys, especially with sprayer testing in the current climate

and also a 10 point norso course!
 

DrWazzock

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lincolnshire
At one time we fought alongside kings, now we are humiliated by greengrocers with clipboards. What a sorry state the yeomen of the land find themselves in. And no leader is to be found with backbone or pride or trust or self respect but only those who flagellate themselves and bow in front of the clipboards. Maybe best turn the land back to a hunting estate rather than suffer further humiliation upon humiliation cutting one another’s throats to knock a penny off a chicken or loaf of bread. For if we can’t stop it now we will never stop it and we’ll all be nothing more than serfs.
 

DrWazzock

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lincolnshire
Will farming be the first industry that turns the tide on the dead hand of bureaucracy, the box tickers, the auditors, those who corner markets, those who trust no one, those who believe anything just because it’s written down, those who believe nothing unless it’s written down, those who want it cheaper but at somebody else’s expense?
Will farming be the first industry to rebuild mutual trust and respect and that can say “.”You can take my word for it.”
 

Steevo

Member
Location
Gloucestershire
It would get avoided because most would think it was going to cost more.

Ironic that 2 of supermarkets regarded as premium, being Waitrose and M&S, where we all know it will cost more, do not endorse RT, isn't it?

.....and those two supermarkets that don't "do" Red Tractor also signed the letter supporting Red Tractor!!! :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:

"Aldi, Asda, Co-op, Greggs, Lidl, M&S, McDonald’s, Morrisons and Waitrose have all put their names to a letter also signed and distributed by the British Retail Consortium (BRC), which appears to reflect concern among some retailers over farmer criticism of the proposed new standards."

"Red Tractor is crucial in underpinning our brands; it gives our consumers the reassurance on production and environmental standards they demand. "

The day Sainsbury's start using the RT logo on all of their own brand products is the day I shall listen to what they have to say about how much they value Red Tractor. They are just as fickle as the customers who say "I buy British" right before picking up a pack of Sainsbury's cheapest Danish bacon.
 

Two Tone

Member
Mixed Farmer
The worst thing about RT is it’s an insult.
It’s an insult to the integrity, intelligence and honest of all decent hardworking farmers.
To be questioned on issues such as worker welfare and environmental protection is almost making the assumption we are born criminal. I deeply resent that.
Spot on!

They have a “Guilty until proved innocent” attitude.
 

Steevo

Member
Location
Gloucestershire
supermarkets mostly have their own schemes, none seem to place much marketing power on RT branded product and they can surely see the nonsense of it on processed items like bread and cereals, etc

I would suggest they could make more marketing capital out of being seen to be on UK farmers side / fair trade for them that they see from a brand that has proved itself to be worthless for 20 years now


All this talk of "lowering standards".

The truth of the matter is that it is the processors and retailers that are lowering the standards. The wheat when it leaves the British farrmer's gate is produced to UK legal standards (which are higher than many other countries), and then gold plated with Red Tractor standards on top.

These processors are then taking this British (and Red Tractor) wheat and choosing to mix it with imported non-RT assured wheat grown to an unknown standard.....in order to create their products.

This is the part that is not transparent to the end customer who buys the loaf of bread on the shelf.

Even if you removed the Red Tractor standards, but a retailer used 100% British wheat (and other ingredients) in their product produced to UK legal standards.....this would still be significantly higher than ANY product produced using imported ingredients.

CHOSEN BY BRITAIN
GROWN IN BRITAIN

THAT'S THE BRITISH STANDARD!
 
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I was meaning for me, as a small farmer, annual vs 36 mth sprayer testing interval will make a bit of a saving. So, can I join SQC even though I live in England?

If I can, and SQC are totally separate to RT, then RT might quickly have no arable customers.

I looked through the SQC rules and they're not much different to RT. Certainly not what we're aiming for I would have said.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 78 42.9%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 63 34.6%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 30 16.5%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 75-100%

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

    Votes: 5 2.7%

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

  • 1,286
  • 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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