To the Directors on the board of Red Tractor Assurance

[Jackov Altraids]

Dear Board Members,

You will be aware that it has been some time since your conditions of employment were reviewed.
Following consultation we are pleased to inform you of some additional requirements that will come into effect in November 2021.

In order to demonstrate a full understanding of how to improve and implement standards, you will be required to spend a full day working at the premises of a primary producer in each sector.
These being;
A beef farm
A sheep farm
A chicken farm
A combinable crop/ sugar beet farm
A dairy farm
A duck farm
A fresh produce farm
A pig farm
A turkey farm

This will involve performing any task that may be expected to be performed in the normal procedures of those businesses. This will be a minimum of 10 hours and you will then be expected to aid in the recording of the data for that day as required of assurance. You will not be exempt from visiting any sector as previous experience is not recognised.

You will also be required to spend a half day[not less than 5hrs] at each element in the assured supply line.
These being;
Livestock transporter
Meat processing
Livestock market
Collection centre
Safe haven
Cold crush

Whilst the professionals working with you at each place will try to ensure your safety while working, you will be expected to provide the following as evidence of transporting yourself safely;
A certificate of competence in changing a wheel [yearly]
A certificate for advanced driving [must include the element for country roads]
An emergency plan in case of accident including fuel spills while refuelling.
A copy of 'How to read a map in the event of sat-nav failure'.

To address the need for complete traceability, you will also be required to keep a log of all your driving throughout the year. These records will need to be kept for a minimum of 6 years.

I'm sure you will appreciate the benefits and feel pride in promoting British food, building a strong brand and adding value to your CV.It is also what the consumer demands.
There may not be a huge financial benefit [you will not be paid any extra] but I'm sure you'll appreciate that HMRC have said you will be less likely to have an inspection while you are a board member.
I'm sure you will be looking forward to driving forward with higher standards and a vibrant industry.
If however you feel it is rather a lot of unnecessary extra work for no extra income, join the club.

Yours Sincerely, The Members.

 

[Werzle]

You have too much time on your hands

 

[delilah]

Very good. I will say this though. We have to do red tractor paperwork. We are also faced with, for the first time in recorded history, our beef having a tax put on it on the grounds that it is bad for the environment. I know which is the bigger threat to our business. Well done to the arable farmers who are currently kicking up a stink. The livestock sector needs to likewise up its game.

 

[nelly55]

As a livestock farmer I would kick up a stink if I wasn’t sinking under flood water,and working all the hours in a sodding day

 

[steveR]

Dear Board Members,

You will be aware that it has been some time since your conditions of employment were reviewed.
Following consultation we are pleased to inform you of some additional requirements that will come into effect in November 2021.

In order to demonstrate a full understanding of how to improve and implement standards, you will be required to spend a full day working at the premises of a primary producer in each sector.
These being;
A beef farm
A sheep farm
A chicken farm
A combinable crop/ sugar beet farm
A dairy farm
A duck farm
A fresh produce farm
A pig farm
A turkey farm

This will involve performing any task that may be expected to be performed in the normal procedures of those businesses. This will be a minimum of 10 hours and you will then be expected to aid in the recording of the data for that day as required of assurance. You will not be exempt from visiting any sector as previous experience is not recognised.

You will also be required to spend a half day[not less than 5hrs] at each element in the assured supply line.
These being;
Livestock transporter
Meat processing
Livestock market
Collection centre
Safe haven
Cold crush

Whilst the professionals working with you at each place will try to ensure your safety while working, you will be expected to provide the following as evidence of transporting yourself safely;
A certificate of competence in changing a wheel [yearly]
A certificate for advanced driving [must include the element for country roads]
An emergency plan in case of accident including fuel spills while refuelling.
A copy of 'How to read a map in the event of sat-nav failure'.

To address the need for complete traceability, you will also be required to keep a log of all your driving throughout the year. These records will need to be kept for a minimum of 6 years.

I'm sure you will appreciate the benefits and feel pride in promoting British food, building a strong brand and adding value to your CV.It is also what the consumer demands.
There may not be a huge financial benefit [you will not be paid any extra] but I'm sure you'll appreciate that HMRC have said you will be less likely to have an inspection while you are a board member.
I'm sure you will be looking forward to driving forward with higher standards and a vibrant industry.
If however you feel it is rather a lot of unnecessary extra work for no extra income, join the club.

Yours Sincerely, The Members.

Brilliant!!!

 

[delilah]

As a livestock farmer I would kick up a stink if I wasn’t sinking under flood water,and working all the hours in a sodding day

That's why we have national representative bodies, to sort all this sh!t on our behalf whilst we deal with our own sh!t. Tell them to do their job, will only take 5 minutes.

 

[Chris F]

Oh no - more "squabbling" and "backstabbing". Here comes another FW article on how farmers don't know how good they have it.

I think FW should get off the fence shortly and report this farce as it is, but then they would get zero adverting spend from NFU and NFU mutual. So they are towing the party line at the moment. £80k looks like it is the figure for last year as report by Nielsens of the combined spend with Farmers Weekly.

 

[Robt]

I look forward to how well James Sills gets on with the legal side. For those that know him. He is exactly what the NFU should be recruiting. His level of intelligence is amazing and he will question everything to learn. He is also the first to admit at being wrong but more importantly to learn why he was wrong. He will keep going with the legal side so is worth watching. He is also one of the most polite people ive ever met! So the fight will be very fair and well mannered

 

[ollie989898]

Dear Board members


Any chance of a job? I have experience of a similar role. Details of my existing package and salary are enclosed.



Sincerely


I.B. Clip-board.

 

[Chris F]

I look forward to how well James Sills gets on with the legal side. For those that know him. He is exactly what the NFU should be recruiting. His level of intelligence is amazing and he will question everything to learn. He is also the first to admit at being wrong but more importantly to learn why he was wrong. He will keep going with the legal side so is worth watching. He is also one of the most polite people ive ever met! So the fight will be very fair and well mannered

There will be choice of swords or pistols.

 

[Clive]

Oh no - more "squabbling" and "backstabbing". Here comes another FW article on how farmers don't know how good they have it.

I think FW should get off the fence shortly and report this farce as it is, but then they would get zero adverting spend from NFU and NFU mutual. So they are towing the party line at the moment. £80k looks like it is the figure for last year as report by Nielsens of the combined spend with Farmers Weekly.

...... and this is how it works

i did think they were being quite balanced on this until recently and then they publish 2 things from the same person (Mr Belnkiron) is a week , one of which fails to mention his RT employment @AM_Arable ?

given the clearly much higher % of farmers not happy with this their views have so far been the minority printed

Maybe suggestion have been made over the future of 80k of advertising spend ??


I would suggest what is going on over this issue on social media is unprecedented in uk agriculture and that in itself is newsworthy ?

this is the closest I’ve seen farmers to fremch style direct action for years but instead of blocking roads they are using their voice on the internet to try and force change ... that is a story in itself

 

[theboytheboy]

Surely this is something country file should be reporting on.....oh now wait.....its a farming related issue it won't be relavent

 

[Chris F]

Surely this is something country file should be reporting on.....oh now wait.....its a farming related issue it won't be relavent

Really - they would make Red Tractor the last bastion of farm safety and all farmers out to be mavericks who don't care about the quality of food.

 

[Jackov Altraids]

Really - they would make Red Tractor the last bastion of farm safety and all farmers out to be mavericks who don't care about the quality of food.

This is something we should make very clear on all threads about RT in case they are read by non-farmers.
As far as I'm aware, there would be no reduction in safety, quality or welfare if RT stopped tomorrow. People wouldn't farm differently it would just remove the need to continually prove you are not breaking the law and record all the checks we continually do automatically.

 

[Chris F]

This is something we should make very clear on all threads about RT in case they are read by non-farmers.
As far as I'm aware, there would be no reduction in safety, quality or welfare if RT stopped tomorrow. People wouldn't farm differently it would just remove the need to continually prove you are not breaking the law and record all the checks we continually do automatically.

100% Red Tractor doesn't make you a better farmer, it just makes you good at filling in forms. The quality of the product remains unchanged. Certainly for ACCS.

 

[SilliamWhale]

...... and this is how it works

i did think they were being quite balanced on this until recently and then they publish 2 things from the same person (Mr Belnkiron) is a week , one of which fails to mention his RT employment @AM_Arable ?

given the clearly much higher % of farmers not happy with this their views have so far been the minority printed

Maybe suggestion have been made over the future of 80k of advertising spend ??


I would suggest what is going on over this issue on social media is unprecedented in uk agriculture and that in itself is newsworthy ?

this is the closest I’ve seen farmers to fremch style direct action for years but instead of blocking roads they are using their voice on the internet to try and force change ... that is a story in itself

To be fair though. Blenkiron's first piece was his letter and the second piece is part of his Farmer Focus column. So I don't think FW are being unreasonable at all. He is allowed his say and as others have said, the more he keeps talking the better the advert for those who are exposing the nonsense.

If you have a writer then you need to give them space to say what it is they want to say - I don't expect FW to shut their opinion down whatever it is

 

[Steevo]

To be fair though. Blenkiron's first piece was his letter and the second piece is part of his Farmer Focus column. So I don't think FW are being unreasonable at all. He is allowed his say and as others have said, the more he keeps talking the better the advert for those who are exposing the nonsense.

If you have a writer then you need to give them space to say what it is they want to say - I don't expect FW to shut their opinion down whatever it is

I totally agree.

Hopefully the remaining FF writers will soon use their pieces to have their say also, and hopefully they won’t be quite so biased.