The month of September has provided a reminder of why we should be proud to produce some of the best food in the world. The NFU’s Back British Farming day (13th September) celebrated the success of British farming and received widespread political support, not least from Secretary of State, Michael Gove. At the same time (11th to 17th September) it was Red Tractor Week, which engaged with consumers and helped harness greater support for British food.
Of course, there are many challenges for British growers, not least the challenge to secure enough workers and have access to plant protection products which enable us to continue to produce the food our consumers want. And while consumer expectations continue to rise, so too is the pressure for growers to produce to ever exacting standards.
In just a few days’ time (on the 1st October) the revised Red Tractor standards come into effect and growers will need to demonstrate compliance against a range of new and enhanced requirements. This revision has seen a large number of changes and there is much to consider, so growers are advised to get familiar with the new standards well in advance of their audit. Better still, NFU members can request an Audit Pack which contains templates, policies and guidance to help them prepare for their audit. It is totally free for members and can be requested by calling NFU Callfirst on 0370 845 8458.
There is also still time for you to respond to our Red Tractor audit survey; gauging views on how efficient and effective you feel the audit process is. We’re looking for responses based on the existing standards (those that run until the end of September) and will run a similar survey in a couple of years when you’ve become familiar with the new standards. It’s important for us, as your representative, to be able to provide feedback to Red Tractor so they can identify ways to improve the process and make it as smooth as possible. I would encourage you to spend just a few minutes telling us what you think.