Voluntary RPA advisory visit (not an inspection)

[Zippy768]

So been offered a visit - completely voluntary - by an rpa rep to discuss best practices and advice to achieve the options I have in my SFI agreement.
Apparently random selection and does not mean I am more at risk of having an inspection, but probably wouldn't lessen the risk.
"Risk" probably isn't the right word.

Any one had one of these?

Tempted to invite them in

 

[DeeGee]

So been offered a visit - completely voluntary - by an rpa rep to discuss best practices and advice to achieve the options I have in my SFI agreement.
Apparently random selection and does not mean I am more at risk of having an inspection, but probably wouldn't lessen the risk.
"Risk" probably isn't the right word.

Any one had one of these?

Tempted to invite them in

By all means invite them in.
But make sure they never leave……..!

 

[Zippy768]

By all means invite them in.
But make sure they never leave……..!

If they dig around too much, they may find themselves underneath my Winter Bird feed, which given the inevitable sparse of it would be a terrible place to conceal a crime.
Which would in turn promote a response from the Police AND the RPA
Double trouble!



N.b. No RPA rep or inspector of any calibre would come to harm on a visit here......the Red Tractor man left with 3 of his 4 limbs just last week!

 

[topground]

RPA short of work because of the lack of takeup of SFI?

 

[Zippy768]

RPA short of work because of the lack of takeup of SFI?

Tbh, my first thought was wanting to expand the inspection period.
Obviously pretty quiet on inspection front right now, maybe trying to get ahead of the game and feet on the ground by offering advisory visits.
Would highlight some farmers that might need a return visit??
And some that maybe not

 

[Walton2]

I would be very interested to see how you get on.They have had a very long time to plan these ’visits’ and what is ‘advice’ etc. Unfortunately, I think there will be a lot of it made up as they go along….a bit like Janet did.She described it as ‘Co-design’, and we now see where that has got us!
I have no doubt that DEFRA spend far too much time on this forum, and take too much notice of the few contributors on it….so I would be cautious of giving too much information that may be used to identify you.

 

[serf]

Wouldn't worry to much about inspections because they said they were going to be
" light touch " ....

How are they going to tackle ppl who don't do sfi after bps has run out , what's the stick!

 

[The Son]

I have had sort of the same, wanted to come and do a sheep count "this minute", said I don't have sheep, and he confirmed his records also said that but "got to come". Anyway, had a nice chat and follow up email with some new SFI info, so definitely not time wasted.

 

[Vader]

Would not have anyone voluntary on the place the way they screwed me over in the past. Would not trust them at all.

 

[andybk]

By all means invite them in.
But make sure they never leave……..!

like Hotel California !

 

[andybk]

I have had sort of the same, wanted to come and do a sheep count "this minute", said I don't have sheep, and he confirmed his records also said that but "got to come". Anyway, had a nice chat and follow up email with some new SFI info, so definitely not time wasted.

yea i got one tomorrow , as if we havnt enough to do this summer , (allow 5hrs )

 

[MRT]

Afterwards invite the mother in law to stay for a week to critique your personal lives.

 

[Zippy768]

Afterwards invite the mother in law to stay for a week to critique your personal lives.

They won't be coming to cast aspersions on how I farm.
More to critique how I'm getting with their scheme that I choose to sign up to

 

[Flatland guy]

I have had sort of the same, wanted to come and do a sheep count "this minute", said I don't have sheep, and he confirmed his records also said that but "got to come". Anyway, had a nice chat and follow up email with some new SFI info, so definitely not time wasted.

Does the new SFI info relate to your agreement? Because if it does it looks like they could be effectively altering the rule book as they go along and RPA having a record of informing you? Which could be dangerous territory, probably not but it is how my brain thinks/historical issues in regards to some of these schemes administered by RPA. My view is that they could inspect just prior to end of three year agreement and then deduct according and say you were informed etc.
Logically your SFI agreement/ rules etc was fixed at time of signing agreement.

Although no doubt the RPA bod doing the advisory is on a cushy number so at the moment will milk it, if everything is all above board effectively they will not need him/her in future but if they find something effectively justified their job which is a concern.

Wouldn't worry to much about inspections because they said they were going to be
" light touch " ....

How are they going to tackle ppl who don't do sfi after bps has run out , what's the stick!

I have never known any UK Government inspection to be 'light touch', I may be waiting a while for HMRC to be light touch or has it altered now a new Government.

 

[Grass And Grain]

I emailed RPA to ask a question about one of my CS options. They made up an answer as regards to dates when I could/couldn't do things, and said it as though it was fact. There's no mention of this date in any manual or guidance.

 

[som farmer]

when we had our full farm compliance visit, at 48 hrs notice, put the wind up us, and to be honest, 48 hours was to long a notice, we sweated buckets in that time !

inspector went to great lengths to tell us it was a random visit. And amazingly he didn't find anything amiss. In fact he has called in randomly, to do feed samples, bloods etc, as we were well set up.

only 1 serious complaint from us, he looked at our 4 freezer pigs, and said, 'oh dear, l am not trained to inspect pigs, someone else will have to come out, to inspect them'. And someone duly spent a day, inspecting our 4 porkers.

but..............on any inspection, whether random or not, they could easily find something wrong, as we all know, nothing runs smoothly, all of the time. Not sure l would want anything 'voluntary', to much depends on the inspector himself.

mind you, it was a breeze compared to red tractor. Although the run up, was more scary, a lot of money rested on it, at least RT gives you time to correct 'things'

 

[Zippy768]

This one is completely voluntary.

 

[moretimeforgolf]

So been offered a visit - completely voluntary - by an rpa rep to discuss best practices and advice to achieve the options I have in my SFI agreement.
Apparently random selection and does not mean I am more at risk of having an inspection, but probably wouldn't lessen the risk.
"Risk" probably isn't the right word.

Any one had one of these?

Tempted to invite them in

Yes, got one booked in for Thursday. Too wet to go combining! Nothing to hide here, thought it might reduce the chances of having a full on inspection at a later date.
Might learn how to add options in from the new additions.