Who has replaced Guy Smith at Red Tractor?

[ollie989898]

No, someone less popular than him...

Not really narrowing it down much are you Wills?

 

[MrNoo]

Jimmy Savile

They'll be as popular as

 

[Btexel]

No, someone less popular than him...

Plutin, fits criteria.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

pointless post of the year award?....'i know but i'm not going to tell you'

tell you what....finish this sentance...' there is speculation that the new arable rep for red tractor is.....'

But I know something you don't, sounds so much better

 

[Drillman]

Whoever it is what a job there walking into!

Hated by the members who pay the wages

members in revolt

members leaving hand over fist, especially in other sectors (beef and sheep for example) which puts more pressure on the remaining sectors to perform.

Its a poison chalice and anyone taking the job on may well find them selves unemployable in the future once red tractor goes down the pan.

 

[MrNoo]

It’s Kit Papworth on their Twatter feed

 

[Daniel]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1559103428579704833

 

[Kit Papworth]

I have. And I look forward to engaging with all sides of the industry to make changes for the better. I totally understand the frustrations of inspection, auditing, import equivalence and gatekeeper protocol - I want to listen to your frustrations and try to make things better. Constructive critisism always welcome - just give me a chance - I'm listening.

 

[MrNoo]

Well, I wish you much luck, a mountain to climb, just have to read this thread, it’s all here!!
Meanwhile another year of full spec milling wheat going for feed here because I won’t pay the Cartel, yet as you know imports have full access!!

 

[ajd132]

Kits a top guy, good appointment.

 

[Kit Papworth]

Well, I wish you much luck, a mountain to climb, just have to read this thread, it’s all here!!
Meanwhile another year of full spec milling wheat going for feed here because I won’t pay the Cartel, gets as you know imports have full access!!

Thank you. I don't grow milling wheat (land is too light). Why is this a problem for you ? Surely your RT is the same for feed and milling ?

 

[Humble Village Farmer]

Kits a top guy, good appointment.

Could have been you Adam!

 

[SilliamWhale]

I have. And I look forward to engaging with all sides of the industry to make changes for the better. I totally understand the frustrations of inspection, auditing, import equivalence and gatekeeper protocol - I want to listen to your frustrations and try to make things better. Constructive critisism always welcome - just give me a chance - I'm listening.

Hello KIt

There is one very very fundamental and glaring issue which farmers don't like and find
it hugely insulting

Imported crops can be traded under "gatekeeper" protocols which effectively (despite what the AIC claim) do not necessarily mean anything above and beyond that the product being sold is what it is according to its contract terms.

However in the UK no one can trade a grain of oilseed rape and nearly all cereals (feed or human consumption) with being Red Tractor "assured" by a 3rd party of which there is only one. Grain farmers cannot capture even £1 of value from Red Tractor because our produce gets immedialty mixed with imports for very obvious reasons. It feels like a ransom

I suggest to you that if gatekeeper protocols are good enough for imported stuff then gatekeeper protocols assured by the farmer themselves adhering to legal UK standards is good enough in the UK too.

Why is this important? There are an awful lot of small farmers/ mixed farmers etc in the country who are either getting shut out of the market unless they pay a tithe to Red Tractor or unless they find a means of defrauding the marketplace and trading stickers etc. Don't believe it doesn't cost them a large amount of their income - it does! Its a really important issue - its one of ethics and fair access to the marketplace - building blocks of any good trading relationship.

There is absolutely no need or justification for a 48 page book of "standards" to adhere to in order to sell grain in the UK - this is evidenced by the fact that imported produce has no such level of standard to adhere to. @Grass And Grain has already evidenced the gatekeeper standards very well and can do again I'm sure. If you read the Combinable Crop Standards they are an absolute logjam of technobabble, we all know this.

I put it to you that UK farmers can quite easily meet gatekeeeper protocols themselves because they are already adhering to the UK legal standards, but Red Tractor is acting as unhealthy monopolistic market blocker on this. In fact a lot of suspect Red Tractor isn't legal at all and is a potential abuse of power in the marketplace - it would be good to test this out.

One final thing - I get what you say about wanting to engage in "all sides of the industry" that's fine. But remember there is only one side paying for market access to the grain industry and that is the farmer! A lot of the other "sides" of the industry are involved with your committee but they are not paying for the market access and yet are dictating the terms.

 

[Humble Village Farmer]

Thank you. I don't grow milling wheat (land is too light). Why is this a problem for you ? Surely your RT is the same for feed and milling ?

What he means is that he can't sell milling wheat at the moment because he and a lot like him have chosen to discontinue paying for market access. (Although imported milling wheat goes straight into the mill with the magic sticker.)

 

[Kit Papworth]

Hello KIt

There is one very very fundamental and glaring issue which farmers don't like and find
it hugely insulting

Imported crops can be traded under "gatekeeper" protocols which effectively (despite what the AIC claim) do not necessarily mean anything above and beyond that the product being sold is what it is according to its contract terms.

However in the UK no one can trade a grain of oilseed rape and nearly all cereals (feed or human consumption) with being Red Tractor "assured" by a 3rd party of which there is only one.

I suggest to you that if gatekeeper protocols are good enough for imported stuff then gatekeeper protocols assured by the farmer themselves adhering to legal UK standards is good enough in the UK too.

Why is this important? There are an awful lot of small farmers/ mixed farmers etc in the country who are either getting shut out of the market unless they pay a tithe to Red Tractor or unless they find a means of defrauding the marketplace and trading stickers etc. Don't believe it doesn't cost them a large amount of their income - it does!

There is absolutely no need or justification for a 48 page book of "standards" to adhere to in order to sell grain in the UK - this is evidenced by the fact that imported produce has no such level of standard to adhere to. @Grass And Grain has already evidenced the gatekeeper standards very well and can do again I'm sure.

I put it to you that UK farmers can quite easily meet gatekeeeper protocols themselves because they are already adhering to the UK legal standards, but Red Tractor is acting as unhealthy monopolistic market blocker on this.

Thank you such a clear explanation. This is an issue which has been raised with me which I am keen to speak with AIC about as it appears to be their issue at this stage. I will read @grainandgrass thoughts too and come back to you.

 

[Kit Papworth]

What he means is that he can't sell milling wheat at the moment because he and a lot like him have chosen to discontinue paying for market access. (Although imported milling wheat goes straight into the mill with the magic sticker.)

OK. Surely he needs that for feed grains as much as he does for milling ?

 

[SilliamWhale]

Thank you such a clear explanation. This is an issue which has been raised with me which I am keen to speak with AIC about as it appears to be their issue at this stage. I will read @grainandgrass thoughts too and come back to you.

@Grass And Grain will hopefully provide a much clearer explanation than me as he has done a lot of excellent work on it. He has gone through it all in an extremely rational way.

 

[Humble Village Farmer]

Thank you such a clear explanation. This is an issue which has been raised with me which I am keen to speak with AIC about as it appears to be their issue at this stage. I will read @grainandgrass thoughts too and come back to you.

I doubt we would be having this conversation if RT had done what it promised and justified its own existence by engineering a premium.

If you can sort that out everything in the garden will be rosy. Otherwise I will find a way to farm without this obstructive beaurocracy.

How do you spell burocracy?

 

[MrNoo]

Thank you. I don't grow milling wheat (land is too light). Why is this a problem for you ? Surely your RT is the same for feed and milling ?

I choose not to pay for market access to a private company part owned by the NFU because I don’t agree that I should have to pay. I didn’t in the past, imports don’t so why should I now?
Milling wheat and malt spec barley 1.85N all going for feed.
Yes it costs me financially but I refuse to be held to ransom by RT which offers zero premium.

 

[Humble Village Farmer]

OK. Surely he needs that for feed grains as much as he does for milling ?

Not necessarily.