As part of its sector-by-sector standards review, Red Tractor is inviting farmers, growers and industry stakeholders to feedback on proposed changes to poultry and pig farm assurance schemes.
The six-week consultation period opened on 10th November and will close at midnight on 22nd December. Consultation is also open on the fresh produce and combinable crops and sugar beet, and completes the organisation’s consultation launch phase across all six sectors covered by Red Tractor farm assurance.
Programme of change at Red Tractor
The consultations are part of a wider programme of change across Red Tractor, which include exploring assessment frequency and how technology can better support assessments as ways to reduce the audit burden on participants.
Paul McLaughlin, Red Tractor chief executive, commented: “We have heard clearly from farmers and growers that assurance needs to work better for them.
“These proposals reflect many months of detailed work by Technical Advisory Committee members who volunteer their time to review the standards. Their work delivers clearer, more practical standards and reduces unnecessary duplication, representing a significant step forward.”
“Rebuilding trust means listening to farmers and growers, acting on their feedback and demonstrating change.”
Paul McLaughlin, Red Tractor
McLaughlin continued: “Rebuilding trust means listening to farmers and growers, acting on their feedback and demonstrating change.
“At the same time, we must maintain the robustness of our standards, which play an important role in building and maintaining consumer confidence in British food.”
Farmers, growers and the wider industry are being encouraged by Red Tractor to consider how the farm assurance proposals would work for their farm or business, and respondents have been asked to identify requirements that are “unclear, impractical or disproportionate” and suggest alternative options.
Review of standards
Red Tractor Poultry and Pigs Technical Advisory Committees (TACs) have been through the current requirements “line by line” to ask if each is justified, relevant and necessary in order to produce a “clearer, better structured” set of requirements.
For poultry, the Sector Board reviewed the draft standards proposed by the TAC and said that result is “less prescriptive” and has an emphasis on outcomes rather than paperwork.
Proposals from the Pigs TAC aim to have an emphasis on animals, the customer and the business, according to Red Tractor. It stated: “Where new requirements have been introduced, it is largely to address key areas such as welfare, biosecurity and sector reputation.” Representatives from the Pigs Sector Board have reviewed the TAC proposals.
Details of the proposals and how to respond to the consultations can be found at redtractor.org.uk/consultations.
