To help NFU members deal with this issue we have put together a briefing which offers guidance on what to do if you encounter a problem and what steps you should be taking to minimise your risk of contamination.
We have also created, for members, an infographic highlighting key control points throughout the crop cycle. This sets out steps you can be taking on your farm to mitigate against the risk of contamination.
We are also asking any member impacted to log this issue with NFU CallFirst (0370 845 8458).
If you are in doubt about a claim and wish to challenge the penalty applied to your crop you should check the procedure detailed on your own contract, but for OSR this is usually done via the arbitration process. Strict time limits apply to this so you may need to be ready to act quickly. The first step we would advise you take is to request an independent confirmatory analysis of your sample.
More information on this process is available in the briefing and from NFU CallFirst (0370 845 8458).
Do we know what is causing the issue?
The NFU is working with the rest of the supply chain to try and identify the cause of contamination but with a number of possible factors at play it is proving challenging. In order to gather data from effected growers the supply chain has put together a questionnaire. We are looking to collect information on the seed, crop production, harvest and storage.
The questionnaire can be accessed here and should also be distributed by merchants.
All information is given confidentially and AHDB Cereals and Oilseeds have agreed to independently analyse the data.
Completed questionnaires should be sent in the first instance to combinablecropsboard@nfu.org.uk