Red Tractor has confirmed it will not progress with the implementation of any new standards or additional modules until the first NFU review, which focuses on governance, has been completed.

A separate, wider look at food chain assurance and its role within the supply chain will also be carried out.

Last week the NFU Council unanimously agreed to two reviews into how farm assurance schemes operate in England and Wales, and whether they provide value for producers.

Red Tractor said its main board has confirmed its complete support for both reviews and will cooperate fully to ensure openness and pace.

The news comes just a few weeks after Red Tractor announced a new voluntary environmental module, which was due to launch next year and caused significant backlash in the farming community.

Strength of feeling

Commenting on the reviews, Red Tractor chair Christine Tacon said in a statement that the strength of feeling from farmers across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland “has become clear to everyone”.

She added: “It has been a difficult period across UK agriculture, which has brought forward frustration from farmers that runs deeper than just our proposals for an environment module. We recognise that and have decided that the NFU’s independent review of Red Tractor governance must come first.”

She said there will be no decisions on the implementation or timing of the environment module or any other changes to existing Red Tractor standards, until the first NFU review is complete.

“Any continuation of work on an environment module would need to include more detailed dialogue with farmers and supply chains and consider relevant government policy on agriculture for all UK nations,” she continued.

“The views of our members are very important, and we are sorry that we have been slow to understand them fully. The discussion that has been provoked is essential and offers a great opportunity for the farming sectors and supply chains to work together.”

The NFU aims to complete the first review by the end of January 2024.

The post Red Tractor halts new standards and modules amid NFU review appeared first on Farmers Guide.

With all slurry stores to be covered by 2027, John Tydeman, sales manager at Tramspread, outlined the pros and cons of different storage and cover options. He urged farmers to view slurry as an asset, not waste, and stressed the importance of looking after your store to maintain capacity.

Slurry storage grants offered by the government require farmers to reach and maintain at least six months’ storage capacity. The AHDB Slurry Wizard is a useful tool for calculating what size store you need.

Planning a new store

A good place to start is familiarising yourself with SSAFO regulations, ensuring any new store and its location meet the standards. If located in a farmyard, a circular store with a self-supporting roof may be the best option, but is also the most expensive, John explained.

Moving down the scale, there are satellite stores or, if you have a little more space, a bag tank could be the best choice. These have a 25-year design life and typically cost 35% less than the equivalent circular tank. Bag tanks are available from Tramspread in several sizes up to 7,500m3 and come in one piece with liner and cover all in one. Integral stirrers and pipework are all part of the kit and the tank can be easily installed in 3–4 days on outlying land and unstable ground. Sometimes planning permission is not required and they can be installed under permitted development rights if they are far enough away from nearby properties. This is a big advantage over circular and concrete tanks. They are also quite cost-effective compared to other types of store, John noted.

The cheapest permanent option is a covered lagoon with floating tile or fixed fabric cover. Lagoons are generally more difficult to manage, he explained, particularly with fabric covers as these can make it very difficult to stir the slurry, resulting in solid build up which can reduce the store’s capacity and make slurry much harder to pump.

Another option is a temporary bag store, which can be set out wherever needed if you have some outlying land, up to 350m3. This allows umbilical spreading in that block of land, then the bag can be rolled up and moved to another site to repeat the process.

All the above options, apart from the temporary stores, feature in the government’s Slurry Infrastructure Programme, offering various levels of financial support.

There is also funding for stirrers to be fitted into new stores. Additionally, separation before slurry gets into the store can be a big help, reducing the need for stirring and making sure you have a well-homogenised product, John noted.

Slurry cover options

There are three basic types of slurry cover:

• A self-supporting fabric cover: The most expensive option and only suitable for new circular stores.
• Fabric floating cover: Again, expensive and can be fitted to lagoons, or circular covers can be fitted to tanks. These make it harder to stir and manage the store but work quite well if using separated slurry. They also collect rainwater which must be periodically pumped off.
• Floating tiles (such as Tramspread’s Hexa-Cover): These don’t keep rainwater out of the store but are very easy to install, quite cheap and have a much longer lifespan than fabric, John said. They are a really good alternative to fabric covers and particularly well suited to older circular tanks that lack the structural integrity to cope with one of the tensioned covers – as well as odd-shaped slurry lagoons that are difficult to cover with a fabric solution. The lagoon doesn’t need to be emptied and cleaned to install the 8in tiles, which are made from recycled plastic. The tiles are simply poured over the surface, where they organise themselves into symmetrical patterns. They can reduce emissions by up to 96%, John said.

Silage additives

Silage additives are becoming a more common solution for breaking solid content down and improving the plant availability of nutrients. “These are quite cheap in the grand scheme of things and normally one course per year is enough to greatly improve any slurry store. Also, although it’s not a magical solution it can help to reduce solid in stores that have been mismanaged and have got  a big solid build up,” John said.

Callum Norman, of Origin Fertilisers, shared results from trials of Digest-It, one of the only liquid biological composting additives on the market. It’s a one-application product that’s comprised of molasses, sugars and seaweed, mixed with certain bacteria to allow the product to break down solids and increase the nutrient content. It is also the only additive with a quantity of P and K in it. Callum explained it improves fertiliser nutrient levels, reduces ammonia concentration and odour, breaks down crust and solids and helps to boost soil fertility.

Key results from Digest-It trials:

• 31% decrease in ammonia emissions on a farm in Ireland, demonstrated by twice daily measurements of gases from two 50,000-gallon slurry tanks over 12 weeks.
• 33% increase in N over an 8–12-week period on 15 different dairy farms.
• Six-year average increase of 18% in first cut silage, according to long-term grass silage trial comparing treated and untreated slurry.
• Other trials have revealed significantly higher worm counts where Digest-It has been applied compared to untreated slurry.

Digest-It is usually applied in October/November and needs 8–12 weeks in the tank to work effectively. Twenty litres treats 100,000 gallons of slurry, it’s organically certified and the liquid form means no respiratory protection is required as results show up to 80% reduction in ammonia emissions is possible. It results in a more usable slurry, and saves costs on stirring and bag fertiliser, Callum concluded.

Toby Ward of Origin Fertilisers pointed out that it’s not just about N; sodium is key too. Grass can become bitter over time and sodium “is like putting salt on chips”. Origin Fertilisers’ Sweetgrass range with sodium increases palatability and therefore dry matter intakes, yields and daily liveweight gain.

Bob Fabri, of Eurofins Agri UK, also pointed out the importance of looking at the whole cycle when testing nutrient levels of soil and slurry. Phosphorus, for example, is a very immobile element and needs to be very close to the root of the plant to be taken up – so high P stocks in soils may not translate to silage and slurry, which could result in deficiencies in cattle.

The post Are you prepared for new slurry legislation? appeared first on Farmers Guide.

Red Tractor faced a major backlash from the farming community when it announced its Greener Farms Commitment, a voluntary environmental module, would launch in April next year. 

It was widely criticised by farmers on social media, with many concerned that the module would not remain voluntary, and risked imposing significant additional costs on farmers, whilst gaining nothing in return.

Farmer and agronomist Russell McKenzie said on X: ’It’s an absolute shocker, at a point when farmers are fed up with a lot of aspects of Red Tractor as it is, this is the final straw & it has to change.’

Responding to the criticism, Red Tractor defended the GFC, saying it aims to protect farmers from from future audit demands, costs and complexity.

GFC “sideswipes” sheep farmers 

The National Sheep Association has said the latest announcement from Red Tractor “sideswipes” the sheep farming sector.

The group is “deeply concerned” that none of the details of the GFC were discussed with those directly impacted. Following an extraordinary meeting of the NSA English Committee, it is calling for a ‘root and branch’ review of the assurance scheme and its governance. 

NSA chief executive Phil Stocker said the organisation continues to support the concept of farm assurance, but has “long been frustrated that the scheme is losing its way and has become less relevant to sheep farmers, with little acceptance of the unique nature of our sector”.

With most of the nation’s sheep farmers being family farms and single operators, he said “becoming Red Tractor Assured presents a huge hurdle for many sheep farms, and for most of the sector’s routes to market it adds no value.”

Chair of the NSA English Committee Kevin Harrison added: “It is quite telling that those responsible for the governance of the assurance scheme felt the need to work on this behind closed doors without even consulting their boards or technical advisory committees.”

Mr Stocker went on to say that the new GFC is “a step too far” and does not accept that it will remain a voluntary scheme. 

Whilst NSA is fully prepared to continue to work with the Red Tractor scheme in a constructive way, Mr Stocker wants to see a review of its governance and direction, and said the NSA would not be part of any Development Advisory Panel for the GFC, as it needs to go “back to the drawing board” with full debate and discussion within the farming community.

“An imposition without a reward”

AHDB has also said it is ready to support discussions on the future of farm assurance, following the backlash.

Whilst noting the need to prove our high standards of food production, and to respond to the changing needs of consumers, AHDB chair Nicholas Saphir said: 

“The reaction to Red Tractor’s Greener Farm Commitment module proposal, whatever its merits, and ongoing discussions in the cereals and oilseeds sector and amongst beef and lamb producers is evidence that many farmers are beginning to consider that assurance is becoming an imposition without a reward and that there is a lack of buy-in to the case for, and potential benefits of, effective farm assurance.”

He added: “AHDB will contribute with independent evidence that helps provide a view on the value of assurance in supporting British farmers. We are already working on an independent international comparison study of competitor beef and lamb standards and today we have announced a similar study within the cereal and oilseeds sector.”

Lack of involvement 

Responding to the backlash, NFU deputy vice president Tom Bradshaw said he was “alarmed” that the Red Tractor Board had previously decided that all of the technical committees and sector boards where NFU members sit would be bypassed. 

“We have never said that as one of the 18 members of the Red Tractor board we didn’t have knowledge of the module, but at no point have expert NFU members and advisors been involved with the development of the crucial details within it.”

He said the NFU had spent the past 18 months “robustly challenging” the governance behind the development of the GFC and had achieved a number of concessions at the Red Tractor board meeting in September.

Defending the GFC on BBC 4’s Farming Today programme, Red Tractor CEO Jim Moseley said: “We know that almost all retailers are looking to demonstrate their environmental commitment. Our concern is that could potentially lead to a multitude of demands on farmers and that those farms are going to be inundated with requests for different carbon footprints, different approaches on biodiversity etc etc.

“So where we started from is trying to develop a common industry approach that would reduce the number of programmes, audits or things farmers would have to do by having one simple module that meets the needs of all of those retailers and brands and OOH operators.”

The post Calls for Red Tractor review after recent controversies appeared first on Farmers Guide.

Red Tractor has announced that its voluntary environment module will be available from April 2024, but while the news has been welcomed by retailers, farmers have fiercely criticised the move.

According to Red Tractor, the module offers farmers, processors and packers one set of common criteria, and is set to operate very differently from the typical core standards.

It is being introduced to tackle the potential increase in audit demands on farmers as retailers, out of home operators and brands face pressure to source produce more sustainable.

However, a backlash on social media and forums has seen farmers raise serious concerns that the module could become compulsory, forcing farm businesses to spend more on higher environmental standards, without being paid for it.

What is the Greener Farms Commitment?

Red Tractor says the module will allow farmers to make commitments and track their own progress across five key areas for environmentally focused farming:

• Carbon foot printing
• Soil management
• Nutrient management
• Waste management
• Biodiversity.

It will recognise other schemes or programmes such as the SFI and other devolved government schemes, reducing the cost and complexity, and making it as easy as possible for farmers to complete, Red Tractor says.

The GFC will also have its own logo, for farmers to demonstrate their environmental credentials to consumers, whilst also differentiating the high quality of British products compared to international competition.

From 1st April 2024, the scheme will be open to the supply chain across all sectors where members are already certified against Red Tractor’s core standards. The GFC will be administered by Red Tractor directly, rather than by appointed Certification Bodies.

Unlike core standards, the GFC does not require the same thing at every farm, but instead requires farmers to register a plan for progress that is unique to their circumstances, and then measure their success and learning against that.

There will also be a dedicated Development Advisory Panel (DAP) to oversee the detail, operation, and evolution of the GFC. Its first task will be to give feedback on the technical content of the module before it is finalised and published to help ensure its practical application by sector.

The news has been welcomed by major retailers and the British Retail Consortium.

Farming reaction

Speaking on BBC 4’s Farming Today programme, Leicestershire farmer Joe Stanley said that whilst the industry is keen to move in a more sustainable direction, natural capital services such as carbon footprinting, soil management and biodiversity creation etc, which the GFC refers to, are all expected to create new income streams in future, to replace BPS payments.

“So I think the concern here from many farmers is that we are looking at being set up to give those things away for free to the rest of the food supply chain, to the retailers, to help them fulfil their environmental commitment.”

He added: “Of course it’s being trailed as a voluntary measure but as is usually the case with such things, it will inevitably soon become the industry standard and everyone will be required to adhere to it.”

Norfolk farmer Henry Catling commented on X: ‘Once again British farmers are being asked to go above and beyond for no premium. Voluntary will soon be compulsory, and once again UK Ag will suffer to the supermarkets benefit.’

North west farmer Liz Hoggarth, meanwhile, said on X that adhering to the module would cost her business £9,000 a year and expressed concerns that the NFU was not part of the consultation process.

She wrote: ‘I love the #redtractor model, it engages and is recognised by the general public, but we need to do more ourselves to engage as primary producers, we need to sell our product before the @Conservatives sell us down the river like the bales in Inveraray!

‘@RedTractorFood have to ensure farm assured farms receive a premium for their produce if the retailers want us to just through hoops, the cost has to STOP being passed down to the primary producer.’

NFU president Minette Batters replied: ‘It’s my understanding that the consultation starts now. Whether we like it or not sustainability is becoming the licence to trade but there MUST be a premium and that premium must come back to the farm gate.’

“Completely unacceptable”

Having come under fire from farmers on X, NFU vice president Tom Bradshaw said in a statement that the union has been “robustly challenging” the governance behind the environment module for the past 18 months.

“I was alarmed that it had been previously decided by the Red Tractor board that in developing this module all of the technical committees and sector boards where NFU members sit would be bypassed. I have found this position completely unacceptable and said so repeatedly.”

He added: “We have never said that as one of the 18 members of the Red Tractor board we didn’t have knowledge of the module, but at no point have expert NFU members and advisors been involved with the development of the crucial details within it.”

Mr Bradshaw said “significant concessions” had been gained to allow the module to be scrutinised by the technical advisory committees and sector boards. The NFU also fought for and gained agreement to set up the Development Advisory Panel. The union also highlighted concerns about how this could work in the devolved nations with their differing agricultural policies, which have not been involved at all, he added.

Aim is to “protect farmers”, CEO says

Defending the scheme, Red Tractor CEO Jim Moseley said it aims to protect farmers from from future audit demands, costs and complexity.

Speaking on the Farming Today programme he said: “We know that almost all retailers are looking to demonstrate their environmental commitment. Our concern is that could potentially lead to a multitude of demands on farmers and that those farms are going to be inundated with requests for different carbon footprints, different approaches on biodiversity etc etc.

“So where we started from is trying to develop a common industry approach that would reduce the number of programmes, audits or things farmers would have to do by having one simple module that meets the needs of all of those retailers and brands and OOH operators.”

The post Red Tractor comes under fire for new environmental module appeared first on Farmers Guide.

Lantra says it is working closely with CRRU, industry partners and stakeholders to ensure birds of prey don’t fall foul of individuals not using rodenticides properly or safely.

CRRU has recently stated that concerns remain about rodenticides’ residues being found in birds of prey, which is due to a small minority using the chemicals irresponsibility.

To support CRRU, Lantra, as a member of its training and certification group, has responded by upgrading its rodent management training courses.

Lantra Awards has developed and launched the Ofqual-regulated ‘Lantra Awards Level 2 Award in Rodent Management’ to replace ‘Rodent Control on Farms’ and ‘Responsible and Effective Control of Commensal Rodents’ certifications.

This comprehensive course gives people the knowledge and tools to understand legislation governing rodent pest management, the importance of, and the reasons for, rodent management and the biology and behaviour of a specific range of rodent species, Lantra says.

It also stresses the importance of understanding integrated pest management and monitoring rodent activity.

The major move strengthens the existing stewardship regime by upgrading Lantra-assessed training courses into a Level 2 Award in Rodent Management.

David Fisher, Lantra’s head of industry partnerships for the area, said: “As CRRU has recently reported, concerns remain with rodenticide residues found in birds of prey which is being linked to the actions of a minority of irresponsible rodenticide users.

“Lantra responded to calls from CRRU as a member of its training and certification group, to strengthen the existing stewardship regime. We have listened to industry concerns and have taken the relevant measures to respond.

“It is hoped that this and continued promotion of best practice and CPD will go some way to help reduce instances of poor practice to ensure that responsible users can continue to use professional rodenticide products as part of their integrated approach to rodent management.”

For farmers and pest control trainees, there are now seven courses in total, listed at www.thinkwildlife.org/training-certification/

In each case, passing the end of course exam yields a formal qualification/certification accepted at point-of-sale for professional use rodenticides under the UK Rodenticide Stewardship Regime, operated by CRRU.

Lantra will be exhibiting at PestTech, the Pest Control industry event on 9^th November where the latest developments affecting the industry will be discussed. Details of the free to attend event can be found via the NPTA website, PestTech – NPTA

The post Lantra upgrades rodent management training courses to help protect birds of prey appeared first on Farmers Guide.

The funding is part of the Accelerated Loss of Mains Change Programme (ALoMCP), a scheme operated by National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO) and the GB Distribution Network Operators.

The funding can help generator owners like farmers become compliant with new mandatory Distribution Code regulations – the regulations that generator owners must abide by to connect to the electricity network. Once the funding ends, generator owners will still need to meet the compliance requirements but will have to pay for the updates themselves.

The deadline for applications is Tuesday 10th May 2022.

The new regulations come into effect on 1st September 2022, by which point, all electricity generation within the scope of the programme must be compliant, or face Ofgem approved enforcement action.

According to the NFU, in 2019 around 40% of UK farmers were generating low-carbon energy, encompassing around 70% of UK solar power and 10% of the UK’s electricity needs. Many of these generators will be within the scope of the programme, which include generation that:

• Was installed before February 2018 (or in some cases, July 2018)
• Is between 11kW and 50MW in capacity^[1]
• Is connected via the G59 engineering requirement of the Distribution Code.

The equipment updates concern the inverters, converters or G59 relays that are responsible for the Loss of Mains protection settings on the generator. They are an instrumental part of all generation equipment and help protect both the generator and the network from potential faults. In updating the protection settings, the generation becomes more reliable and therefore embeds the electricity network with more strength and resilience.

Cheng Chen, the senior manager for the ALoMCP at National Grid ESO, says: “Compliance with Loss of Mains requirements is not optional and so electricity generator owners should take advantage of the funding that is available now to help them make the upgrades.”

Non-compliant generation poses a risk to the electricity network and those not compliant from 1st September 2022 could be subject to an enforcement process that could result in the de-energisation of the whole site.

As a result of widespread Loss of Mains compliance, Great Britain’s electricity network will be better able to bring more renewable electricity generators online, as a more resilient network can support additional low carbon generation.

Mr Chen added: “This is a relatively small change for most generator owners to make, but if we can achieve widespread compliance the combined impact will have a huge benefit to our electricity network. By becoming compliant, generator owners will be future proofing their power and helping to deliver a strong, resilient, and low carbon electricity network to protect our power for future generations.”

Frequently asked questions:

How can generator owners become compliant?

Generator owners without compliant assets must act now to make the necessary changes, or risk enforcement action. They can apply for funding themselves and make the changes or can engage with contractors who can apply for funding and complete the works for them.

Electricity generator owners who are unsure about what to do can visit www.futureproofyourpower.co.uk to find out more about the changes and use the self-serve tool to find out their next steps.

Generator owners must submit compliance declarations and evidence to support the declaration via the ENA portal by midnight on 31st August.

What if generators are already compliant?

Electricity generator owners must declare they are complaint via the ENA portal. Generator owners must submit compliance declarations and evidence to support the declaration via the ENA portal by midnight on 31st August.

Does this apply to domestic rooftop solar panels?

In most cases the updates will not impact those with domestic solar arrays as the capacity is too small. However, it may impact those with very large domestic solar arrays.

[1] For single phase generators this may apply to anything between 3.68kW and 50MW capacity.

The post Four weeks left to apply for funding to update electricity generators appeared first on Farmers Guide.

The new rules mean farmers can easily breach regulations when applying organic matter to fields, with the document stating farmers can apply organic manure to agricultural land that may exceed the needs of the soil or crop on that land in certain situations, but must not cause a risk of pollution. They may also not apply organic matter as a means of disposal.

Farmers will have to justify why they need to apply organic manures and also plan chemical applications, taking into account risks to water from nitrogen and phosphorous.

The latest updates are set to have the biggest impact in the east of England where most pig and poultry manures are applied ahead of autumn cropping. The new updates give these farmers an incredibly short amount of time to change their current practice. Farmers are being encouraged to seek independent advice to ensure that their farm remains compliant.

The timing and content of the updates has already received some criticism, with the NFU condemning the report, saying it was “deeply disappointed with the content of the statement by the Environment Agency, which sets an idealistic and impractical barrier in many farming situations”.

Farmers facing sudden changes to their autumn plans are likely to agree.

NFU deputy president Stuart Roberts said: “To find ourselves in this situation so close to autumn shows a complete lack of appreciation of the bigger picture; these materials improve soil health and replace man-made fertilisers while use at this time of year reduces ammonia emissions compared to applications in the spring.”

Responding to the new rule change, CLA’s chief land use policy adviser Susan Twining said: “It is still likely to have a big impact on many businesses, both practically and economically, with little time to adapt plans for this year.

“Of course, water quality should never be compromised. A healthy water environment is key to ensuring wildlife can flourish, and everyone has their part to play.

“But further thought is urgently needed on how to balance the value of organic material for building soil health and benefits for carbon sequestration, reducing reliance on manufactured fertilisers, improving water holding capacity and associated flood risk.”

Key points from the updates:

The post Farmers faced with sudden changes to spreading plans appeared first on Farmers Guide.

While it may be a crime that many in the general public are unaware of, for thousands of farmers across the UK hare coursing presents a significant problem each year. The illegal sport sees groups access land with highly trained dogs to chase down and kill wild hares and rabbits – and in order to get a good view of their prey, organisers will likely target post-harvest fields with open plains, allowing the dogs to build up a good speed.

Coursing can be hugely stressful for farmers and land owners as activity can cause damage to crops, fences and gates. Like all other forms of hunting, it has been outlawed for dogs to hunt and kill in this way. But the ban has led to a much darker network of enthusiasts, and a lucrative gambling network.

“A blood sport of choice for high-end criminals”

Whilst hare coursing, alongside other forms of poaching and illegal land access, has been a problem in the countryside for centuries, the increased access to the internet and technology has exacerbated the problem. Coursing is no longer just a poacher’s pursuit, but an extensive money-making entertainment business. Now, most hare coursing taking place in the UK is filmed for eager audiences away from the field. Encrypted messaging services mean that the criminal activity can be livestreamed and recorded without fear of incrimination.

Organisers are no longer just making money from betting in the field, but are also able to rake in cash from hundreds, or thousands, of spectators online.

This increased revenue has led to increased criminal determination. Due to the nature of the transactions, it is difficult to say exactly how much money is being made through organising and betting on hare coursing, but it is undoubtably an enormous amount each year. At present the largest possible fine under the Game Act for being caught hare coursing is £1,000 – a small deterrent for the criminal gangs involved. Whilst the sport is illegal under the Hunting Act, which has harsher penalties, the volume of proof needed often makes a conviction under that legislation unfeasible.

What makes the crime even more concerning for farmers is that those involved often seem to be linked with other criminal activities. There is an underground network of people travelling hundreds of miles to watch and partake in hare coursing in person. The ‘sport’ involves organisers, spectators, betting agents, breeders, trainers and more. Dogs bred and trained for the sport can fetch high prices, creating yet another illegal revenue stream. Naturally, the large amounts of cash changing hands, unrecorded, attracts those involved in other criminal enterprises.

Chief inspector Phil Vickers, who is from Lincolnshire, one of the worst affected counties, stated earlier this year:

“It’s a blood sport of choice for some high-end criminals. We have been able to supply absolutely key information; their mobile phone numbers and who they are associating with, which has led to the conviction of drug traffickers. There is a network of offenders around the country who are involved in high-level criminality and hare coursing.”

This only adds to the potential dangers for those in rural communities encountering hare coursing and it is advised not to approach those taking part, and instead call the police.

Those most severely affected by the illegal activity are farmers. Coursing can cause immense damage to the farm. Not only will those entering the site illegally often damage fences and security features, once on the land crops can be trampled and damaged, livestock will be spooked or chased, and fields can be spoiled by both car tracks and discarded hare carcases.

A recent survey by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society suggested that of the farmers who had hare coursing on their land, 86 per cent suffered from criminal damage. From the respondents to the survey, one in five had spent at least £5,000 on repairing damage or taking preventative action in the last three years.

Possible legislation on the way

Following pressure from country organisations, changes have recently been proposed to the Game Act of 1831 which would see harsher penalties and more opportunities for police to intervene.

Under the proposals, ‘going equipped’ for hare coursing will be an offence in its own right. This will allow police to take action without catching perpetrators completely red handed. As Covid-19 lockdowns have seen more people take to the countryside, there has been greater awareness of rural crimes and propositions of reform outdated and inadequate legislation.

In June, the matter of hare coursing was taken to the House of Commons, as a private members bill, and is due to be debated in coming sessions. Speaking on the proposed bill Richard Fuller MP said: “Hare coursing is a serious and aggravating crime, but victims of this crime are currently poorly served in obtaining justice.

“Although hare coursing is illegal it is not a notifiable offence and many incidents are not reported. Police powers to intervene, already difficult given location and times of day for hare coursing, are ill suited to the crime and too often the penalties are an insufficient deterrent. This Bill will seek changes to give the police the tools they need to do the job.”

Sadly, new changes to legislation won’t be in effect soon enough to help farmers this year. Harvest is rapidly approaching, and cleared fields are the opportune location for hare coursers. Farmers who witness any illegal activity are encouraged to write down as much information as possible, and call 999 if trespassers are still on the property, or 101 to report when violators have already left.

If you have problems with hare coursers on your land the NFU recommends the following action:

• Find out if you have a dedicated rural crime officer with a direct contact number.
• Make sure you clearly state ‘hare coursing’ to ensure that the incident is recorded correctly.
• Have field grid references ready – these will ensure police can locate you quickly. Find out how what3words can provide accurate locations for use in these types of situations.
• If possible provide a description of the person including notable features, and also descriptions of any vehicles including number plates and any distinguishing features.
• Be discreet when collecting evidence. Approaching hare coursers whilst holding a camera may be inflammatory. If you use a dashcam you may want to pass any footage to the police as evidence.
• Ensure that you receive and make note of your crime reference number.
• Join your local countryside watch if available to gain forewarning of coursers in the area.

The post Hare coursing: Farmers continue to pay the price for criminals’ favourite sport appeared first on Farmers Guide.

A consultation opened today with proposals put forward on how the standards should look across the scheme’s six sectors; beef and lamb, poultry, pigs, dairy, fresh produce and combinable crops and sugar beet.

Red Tractor is seeking input from across the industry before finalising its proposition of what the schemes standards will be from November 2021.

The proposals have been developed over 12 months. At every step of the process, representatives from across the food chain – farming organisations, farmers, vets, processors and retailers – have been fully involved in drawing up the amendments.

Together they have studied consumer trends, reviewed the latest science and evidence, as well as benchmarked the scheme against competitors and industry best practice. The three-stage process of committee, consultation and consensus, adheres to gold standard recommendations of the British Standards Institute.

CEO Jim Moseley said: “We are a proven world leader in food chain assurance, but we cannot rest on our laurels.

“Red Tractor is recognised as a symbol of British food quality but to maintain this, our standards must continue to evolve with the times, to ensure they address changes in legislation, industry practice and reflect the emerging issues on shoppers’ minds.

“At a time of ever-increasing scrutiny, preserving the public’s trust in UK agriculture and the Red Tractor logo has never been more important.

“These proposals strive to strike a delicate balance which protects and promotes our members, reassures consumers and customers, while acknowledges the implications of the challenges that the industry faces with future trade deals and the agricultural transition plan.”

The proposed amendments tabled by Red Tractor are primarily about streamlining, legislative compliance and responding to change. These include simplifying some of the requirements for farmers to drive greater understanding and compliance, and rationalising standards which are common across multiple sectors, providing improved clarity for both farmers and their assessors.

Red Tractor has also listened to British consumers and the recommendations made in a review of the scheme by Dr Jonathan Birnie in 2019, which identified limitations in the current standards around animal and worker welfare and environmental protection.

Examples of proposed changes in these areas include:

Animal Welfare: Having welfare outcomes linked to standards. This includes housing structure and cleanliness and making it absolutely clear what is and isn’t acceptable when handling animals.

Worker Welfare: The Red Tractor strapline Farmed With Care includes care for the people on members’ farms. UK agriculture’s health and safety record is poor and farming is identified as an at-risk sector for labour exploitation. Building worker welfare into the standards ensure members are taking sensible steps to protect the safety and wellbeing of workers on farm.

Environmental Protection: The inclusion of the Farming Rules for Water, which are already legislation and aim to reduce soil erosion and nutrient run-off. The requirements have been adapted from the legal requirements to ensure they are meaningful and can be easily assessed.

The full list of proposed changes, supplementary documents on why Red Tractor has reached these decisions and on how to respond to the consultation can be found on the Red Tractor review hub at https://assurance.redtractor.org.uk/

The full consultation can be accessed at https://redtractor.citizenspace.com

A short video explaining why Red Tractor needs input from the industry has also been created here.

In addition to reviewing its standards, Red Tractor is also asking members and stakeholders for their views on what matters to them and their business.

Mr Moseley added: “Farmers have been an intrinsic part of the process in drawing up the proposed new standards, but now it is over to the membership and stakeholders to have their say.

“Red Tractor was created to become a symbol of trust, safety and responsible production. Twenty years on, our purpose remains the same and we are absolutely delivering on it.

“Millions of shoppers look for the Tractor when they are buying food and drink. And consumer trust has never been higher, making us the most trusted food marque in the UK.”

The consultation and review closes on 5 March 2021.

Proposed amendments to standards by sector

Dairy 

Animal husbandry 
Under the proposals from November 2021, tethering as a management practice would no longer be permitted. Husbandry procedures have also been separated into a standalone section for ease of navigation and to highlight the importance of this area.

Animal medicines 
The change in standards would encompass wider coverage of the medicines used by dairy farmers in the annual review, rather than just antibiotics as it is currently. The consultation is asking for views on requiring the antibiotic collated data to be uploaded to an industry medicine hub in the future to help demonstrate that Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture Alliance (RUMA) Targets Taskforce objectives are met.

Animal welfare 
Welfare outcomes have been linked to standards. This includes housing structure and cleanliness. Red Tractor requirements around handling could be strengthened to make clear what is and isn’t acceptable under the proposals.

Beef & lamb

Animal husbandry 
Under the proposals from November 2021, tethering as a management practice would no longer be permitted. Husbandry procedures have also been separated into a standalone section for ease of navigation and to highlight the importance of this area.

Animal medicines 
Health planning could be strengthened to give members an insight into any issues at farm in  a timely manner. Farmers would be asked to annually collate their total antibiotic use on the farm so that meaningful reviews can take place with their vet to reduce antibiotic use where appropriate. The consultation is asking for views on requiring the antibiotic collated data to be uploaded to an industry medicine hub in the future to help demonstrate that RUMA Targets Taskforce objectives are met. A proposed new standard is for at least one person who is responsible for administering medicines to have undertaken training and hold a certificate of attendance or competence.

Animal health and welfare 
A requirement to be part of a disease eradication programme for Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) would be upgraded from a recommendation to a full standard in 2023. Red Tractor requirements around handling could be strengthened to make clear what is and isn’t acceptable under the proposals.

Pigs

Statutory requirements
Red Tractor’s new pig standards
would mirror Defra’s revised Code of Recommendations for the Welfare of Pigs which covers requirements around tail docking, enrichment, accommodation and record keeping.

Animal medicines
Red Tractor pig producers have made
huge strides in recording antibiotic use in their herds, and the 2021 changes being proposed include developing the future Pig Health and Welfare Pathway and the next set of RUMA’s Targets Taskforce targets for antimicrobial stewardship. The standards would support the pig sector as a whole to meet some of the objectives set out by these initiatives. There is a new draft standard requiring training in medicines and antimicrobial resistance, aligned to requirements in other Red Tractor farm schemes. A new standard requiring persistent high users of antibiotics to implement an antibiotic reduction plan has also been proposed.

Animal welfare
The way producers move and handle pigs is crucial for both welfare and the industry’s reputation. A new standard being consulted on would require all persons involved with pigs to undergo an online training course in handling provided by
the AHDB. Additionally, Red Tractor’s requirements around handling could also be strengthened to make it clear what is and isn’t acceptable, under the proposals.

Biosecurity
New standards have been drafted aimed at minimising the risk of disease spread between and within farms. Deadstock collection would have to be done at the perimeter of the farm and members would be required to sign up to the industry’s Significant Diseases Charter, which aims to ensure rapid communication of disease outbreaks.

Poultry

Animal welfare
Across all poultry species, each crop would require the light intensity to be measured and recorded at bird-eye level to confirm that farms are meeting the standards. Lighting for ducks would be phased on and off over a 30-minute dawn-dusk period and there is a new recommendation for windows in all buildings which house ducks. It is proposed that only slower growing breeds can be used for free range chicken production to ensure that breeds are suitable for the method of production.

Biosecurity
Standards are being revised and simplified to help with consistency and ease of auditing. Requirements have been grouped – for example site access for people, site access for vehicles, hand cleanliness and footwear.

Compliance and consistency
Members will notice that all chicken enterprises are now grouped together, including the new enhanced welfare module. This would ensure that core requirements are standardised across all enterprises and species.

Fresh produce

Structure
Members will see a new framework to the standards. There will be 10 core sections which apply to all farms, five operational area-based modules (assessed only where relevant) and two crop-specific modules. There has also been a reworking of the produce handling and packhouse packing section to allow this to cover rig-based packing operations and streamline assessment where a valid BRC certificate is held.

Risk management
Existing standards have been reviewed
to take into account site risk assessments and post-harvest water management. Additions have been made to reflect new growing techniques and non-traditional cropping systems such as vertical farms and hydroponics.

Legal compliance
There would be new standards for
the management of nitrate concentration in crops where legal parameters apply and two new standards to cover post-harvest treatments in the post-CIPC era.

Food safety
Several new standards are proposed to further strengthen food safety. They include daily start-up checks for harvest teams and two new standards concerning recirculation and re-use of post-harvest water.

Combinable crops and sugar beet

Risk Assessment
This would appear as a new section
on the standards but brings together
 a number of existing requirements into one area for clarity.

Irrigation
A number of revisions have been proposed, all with the aim of providing clarity on what is required where a member is irrigating crops.

Environment
Some changes to the storage of plant protection products have been outlined based on best practice.

The post Red Tractor asks farmers to help shape future standards appeared first on Farmers Guide.

Photo credit: Instagram: @IrishPixel – www.garethsquance.com

Normally, I would suggest that we try to control what we know we can control – but 2020 proves that we can’t imagine some of the things we can’t control! So where does that leave us?

I think it means we should plan for the future, based on what we actually know today. So, if I were responsible for farms/land holdings, the following is what I would be thinking about for the coming year.

I would be seriously looking at what crops I was growing, why I was growing them and what my alternatives might be. Is there space to grow an energy crop? Or, even better, secure income and de-risk part of my land by allowing a third party to grow an energy crop on part of the holding?

I would redouble my efforts on planning and alternative uses – we now know that everyone wants a little piece of the countryside to call their own, so you could make the most of that by renting unused barns out for storage, or corners of paddocks out for summer gymnasiums.

The environment continues to come up the agenda. It can be difficult in the UK, with so many overlapping pressures (farming, food, recreation, environment, carbon, biodiversity, water management, wildlife management, sporting, public rights, cultural history etc), but, contrary to what many believe, there are opportunities as well as challenges out there.

There is an increasing understanding that the environment has value, and that there may be ways of incentivising farmers and landowners to ‘up’ the environmental performance of the land in return for payments. This is a well-trodden road – in the 70s, food production was incentivised and farmers responded to grants; in the 90s, farming itself was held dear and supported by Europe; recent years have seen a confusion of multiple pressures, and these have crystallised around carbon and biodiversity for the now.

Focusing on the environment should not rule out more hard-edged alternative uses, such as energy (particularly renewable) – and not just production (solar/wind), but also the transfer of electricity around the grid, with investment in infrastructure rising up the agenda. Minerals also takes its turn alongside infrastructure projects as a land-hungry exercise where those opportunities exist.

So, what would I be doing?

Well, I’d probably be getting my information base completely up-to-speed – the plans of the farm digitalised, the cropping history, spray data and RPA maps downloaded, the magic map (what a fantastic free resource) printed o , downloaded and, if possible, overlayed. Of course, I would be using the Carter Jonas biodiversity calculator and getting up to speed with that – but I would say that, wouldn’t I?

Then, in practice, I would be talking to all of my neighbours – and not only those physically close to me, but those across the county who are farming the same crops, or who are the same size, or even those diametrically opposite and forming clusters together linked by a common interest, whatever that may be. Because that is how the money is going to come down the tree – common approaches to shared problems, reduction of management time through the use of technology, and trusting one another to come up with – and share – solutions.

What about the land market?

If I were a seller, I would get on with it. We know the land market is quite strong now, with low supply pushing prices up. If I were a buyer, I would also get on with it. The rest of the economy is likely to hit hard times and, in those circumstances, agricultural land is normally a safe place to put your capital. 2007–10 saw the strongest growth in agricultural values in the last 20 years, with average arable land values breaking through £10k per acre. I suspect we will see that again.

Some of you will note I have not mentioned the inputs and the overheads or the capital repayments/machinery costs. I hope that, if I was running a farm, those details would have been planned in some time ago, that my trusted agronomist would be getting on with the practical element, that my various contractors would know what they have to do and be incentivised to get it right, and that the legal paperwork would be in place so that, if they don’t, it is their PI and not my bottom line that will suffer. As the owner/manager, my role is to look forward and make sure the strategy for now to at least 2025 is right, but also flexible and, if the cluster of which I am an active member decides to go in a certain direction, that I am able to take advantage.

It sounds like I am looking forward to 2021…

Well, let’s face it, it’s got to be better than 2020!

Wondering what you should be planning for the coming year? Get in touch via mark.russell@ carterjonas.co.uk or 07967 555737

The post Goodbye 2020, hello 2021! appeared first on Farmers Guide.