Who's joining me?

[S J H]

The most important thing to do is get onto your bank and cancel the direct debit, You haven't left the scheme, but you now have control over your own money and won't automatically roll forward into the next scheme year while you make your own mind up.

Once your stickers expire, you will realise that life goes on without the extra time and expense of the dead tractor, despite the threats they make about what might happen to you if they don't get your money.

There's never a premium and anyway, when stock is short, the supermarkets use an agent to buy out of the live market*. Ask any auctioneer.

Live markets are what keep the supermarkets from taking complete control of the beef and lamb job so you will be doing yourself a favour there too.,like they have with pigs and poultry, with the help of the good old dead tractor. Haven't heard them boasting too much about that one lately have we?

*Magic stickers must be handy in these situations!

I think they’ll play it on the hoggets if prices drop, but can’t see that happening for a while.

For me, it’s just not going to make any more money.

 

[Humble Village Farmer]

I’ve always paid them by cheque

Even better

 

[JP1]

What's a needle cert? Is it to say I've been on that vet course that I haven't? An inspector person, told me not long ago that 75% of sheep flocks they visit are not RT, people are walking.

Dairy have had it for a while now and they said it was coming in for beef. From what I hear you go to an evening pub meet organised by your vets and prove you're proficient in jagging an orange

 

[JP1]

Just had the red tractor inspection, I sadly haven't passed so won't be able to sell stock at the premium.

I failed on health plan, health and safety plan, haven't got a needle certificate and when the dog was wormed. The whole thing has become an utter joke. BVD testing is recommended now, so I'm sure it will be compulsory soon, and as I've said before they'll want everyone on high health schemes costing thousands.

So I won't rejoin, reckon it will save me £500 a year, a day of my life and I'll just sell cattle all live. I've been never been asked for red tractor on the sheep and it's never seemed to knock them.

Who's with me?

Mission creep sadly. left two years ago. none of it makes you a better farmer

Herd health plan is a good idea. But as you say it should be dynamic and a reflection of good practice

The latest census thing asking if you've a health and safety plan is the next thin end of the wedge

 

[Humble Village Farmer]

If it’s anything like ours it’s a couple of hours in the pub, with a pint and sandwiches, listening to a general ‘how to suck eggs’ chat from the vet, followed by a multiple choice questionnaire to make sure you hadn’t nodded off (don’t sit by the radiator).
It’s no great bother but nonetheless a complete waste of time.

Vets are good at explaining little details though aren't they? I had been giving injections for years and the vet at some ahdb talk or other let a couple of little gems slip out on how to improve your technique.

Presume the course would be ahdb funded?

 

[neilo]

Dairy have had it for a while now and they said it was coming in for beef. From what I hear you go to an evening pub meet organised by your vets and prove you're proficient in jagging an orange

We didn’t have any practical element to ours, oranges or otherwise.

 

[neilo]

Vets are good at explaining little details though aren't they? I had been giving injections for years and the vet at some ahdb talk or other let a couple of little gems slip out on how to improve your technique.

Presume the course would be ahdb funded?

No funding, we paid the vet, who paid the pub.

Cost would likely go up by 80% if it were funded by that amount.

 

[S J H]

Mission creep sadly. left two years ago. none of it makes you a better farmer

Herd health plan is a good idea. But as you say it should be dynamic and a reflection of good practice

The latest census thing asking if you've a health and safety plan is the next thin end of the wedge

I’ve been in the health scheme, it cost me an awful lot of money, 2 cows
and no benefit.

They’ve got dairy, pigs and cereals by the balls. I expect beef and lamb are are thorn in their sides until live markets go.

 

[yellowbelly]

Who's with me?

Looks like it's you that's joining us

Packed it in years ago - no regrets.

 

[Flatlander]

What's a needle cert? Is it to say I've been on that vet course that I haven't? An inspector person, told me not long ago that 75% of sheep flocks they visit are not RT, people are walking.

Ironic that farmers need a needle certificate to make a living but every druggy shooting it in his arm gets treated like a victim and government resources to treat the addiction at the tax payers expense. Nothing like feeling appreciated. I shed a tear for British farming

 

[Agrivator]

In Scotland, a number of Assessors have left because they can't stand the embarrassment of having to ask even more stupid questions, plus they are sick of the added bureaucracy involved in reporting each visit to HQ.

Control freaks obviously have a different brain compared to normal folk.

 

[bobk]

Would have to pay for the vet to sign the Heath plan though and go on the jabbing course, can’t really be arsed, will sell cull cows next week, then sell as feeders after that.

Non assured cows sell well at market , probably end up assured

 

[7610 super q]

I have about a ton of barley left that didn't go to the mills.
I will be advertising it on FB tomorrow.
This will be the litmus test ( Maybe an old grey whistle test) as to whether I can actually do without RT, and sell direct to livestock farmers.
I suspect I will be in for a week of torture.
Wish me luck.

 

[roscoe erf]

Just had the red tractor inspection, I sadly haven't passed so won't be able to sell stock at the premium.

I failed on health plan, health and safety plan, haven't got a needle certificate and when the dog was wormed. The whole thing has become an utter joke. BVD testing is recommended now, so I'm sure it will be compulsory soon, and as I've said before they'll want everyone on high health schemes costing thousands.

So I won't rejoin, reckon it will save me £500 a year, a day of my life and I'll just sell cattle all live. I've been never been asked for red tractor on the sheep and it's never seemed to knock them.

Who's with me?

already done it won't join their protection racket rather have my head kicked in by the kray's

 

[roscoe erf]

Just had the red tractor inspection, I sadly haven't passed so won't be able to sell stock at the premium.

I failed on health plan, health and safety plan, haven't got a needle certificate and when the dog was wormed. The whole thing has become an utter joke. BVD testing is recommended now, so I'm sure it will be compulsory soon, and as I've said before they'll want everyone on high health schemes costing thousands.

So I won't rejoin, reckon it will save me £500 a year, a day of my life and I'll just sell cattle all live. I've been never been asked for red tractor on the sheep and it's never seemed to knock them.

Who's with me?

non rt stock here always make the same if not better money

 

[farmerm]

One of my local markets, sheep have no farm assurance declaration by farmer at booking in and no farm assurance declaration at point of sale... I am lost how the buyers could possibly know the FA status of the pens they bid on, clearly they simply do not care and thus is provides zero premium or penalty. My concern is quit the sheep FA and they might just come down harder on our compliance with cereals FA out of spite.

 

[bobk]

I have about a ton of barley left that didn't go to the mills.
I will be advertising it on FB tomorrow.
This will be the litmus test ( Maybe an old grey whistle test) as to whether I can actually do without RT, and sell direct to livestock farmers.
I suspect I will be in for a week of torture.
Wish me luck.

Hmm , tricky , dealing with clipboard jobsworths or farmers .... sounds a recipe for a headache

 

[Bill dog]

I

I’ve been in the health scheme, it cost me an awful lot of money, 2 cows
and no benefit.

They’ve got dairy, pigs and cereals by the balls. I expect beef and lamb are are thorn in their sides until live markets go.

I failed my last RT inspection because my wheelie bin ( dead pig bin ), wasnt lockable.
It’s been fine for the last year . Anyway, I managed to liberate a council style salt bin, washed it out, photographed, and emailed it to them . Passed!
What a shower of Cants they are !

 

[Werzle]

Just had the red tractor inspection, I sadly haven't passed so won't be able to sell stock at the premium.

I failed on health plan, health and safety plan, haven't got a needle certificate and when the dog was wormed. The whole thing has become an utter joke. BVD testing is recommended now, so I'm sure it will be compulsory soon, and as I've said before they'll want everyone on high health schemes costing thousands.

So I won't rejoin, reckon it will save me £500 a year, a day of my life and I'll just sell cattle all live. I've been never been asked for red tractor on the sheep and it's never seemed to knock them.

Who's with me?

Wasnt much point in having the inspection if you didnt have all of the above in place. Wasted the inspectors time and your own.

 

[Werzle]

One of my local markets, sheep have no farm assurance declaration by farmer at booking in and no farm assurance declaration at point of sale... I am lost how the buyers could possibly know the FA status of the pens they bid on, clearly they simply do not care and thus is provides zero premium or penalty. My concern is quit the sheep FA and they might just come down harder on our compliance with cereals FA out of spite.

Hereford have put out a notice making sure farmers do not sell animals as farm assured that havent been on a farm assured holding for the required time so im guessing further up the chain(slaughterhouse) has complained .