Accession to the 11-member strong trade bloc will grant the UK access to the same tariff preferences as other CPTPP members, which exceed the existing bilateral free trade agreement with Mexico.

The new agreement will also eliminate the ‘most favoured nation’ tariffs of up to 20% – making Mexico a more attractive market for pork exporters in the UK.

Being the 15^th largest economy in the world and the second largest in Latin America, Mexico is a hugely important market for UK exporters. Its growing population has led to an increased demand for imports, and the economy is forecasted to expand by 35% by 2035.

Market access was secured to the country in 2021 following years of negotiations and inspections led by Defra and the UK Export Certification Partnership (UKECP) and hosted by AHDB, with support from government departments and agencies.

In addition, AHDB is currently working with the government, UKECP and others to gain market access for offal to create further opportunities for UK exports.

Susana Morris, AHDB senior exports manager (Americas), commented: ‘’The Mexican market presents a fantastic opportunity for our pig meat products, especially offal, which we hope to be exporting soon.

‘’The Mexican consumer is becoming more conscious about how meat is produced, so animal welfare and sustainability are important. The UK is highly regarded for its welfare and food safety standards, so this presents a great opportunity for UK farmers and producers.”

She added Mexico also has a small segment of its population that is considered upper class or wealthy, who are willing to pay a premium for high-quality products, therefore representing another opportunity for British pork.

To help boost exports in this market, Defra recently appointed Catrina Kenny as a new Agri Attaché, based in the UK’s Embassy in Mexico. This is part of wider plans to open up new export opportunities in the country and Latin America.

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In the week ending February 25^th, R4L steer prices were up 18.5% compared to the same week last year and 30% compared to the five-year average, reaching 489.2p/kg deadweight (dwt). Iain Macdonald, QMS market intelligence manager, said it is unusual for prices to be rising at this time of year.

“Indeed, between 2010 and 2022, R4L steer prices were lower in the eighth week of the year than in the first week of the year on 10 of 13 occasions. In addition, only in 2012 was the price at its highest of the year so far in week eight. Over the 13 previous years, there was an average reduction of 1.5% for the period but this year prices jumped 6% higher.

“In Scotland, prime cattle prices have been rising despite weekly prime cattle slaughter being seasonally firm, running above its 2022 weekly average level, with spring-born cattle from 2021 reaching peak slaughter age,” he added.

Meanwhile, the latest data from the British Cattle Movement Service (BCMS) revealed a significant year-on-year reduction in slaughter-age cattle on Scottish farms for January 2023.

The combined number of beef-sired cattle and dairy-sired males on Scottish holdings aged 12-29 months was down by 3.3% on the previous year, driven by an increased outflow of store cattle to England since autumn 2021.

In contrast, BCMS data has shown a continuing year-on-year increase in prime cattle availability at GB level in 2023. However, while numbers were 2.7% higher across the 12-29-month age group this year, lighter carcase weights mean that abattoirs aiming to produce the same volume of beef will need to compete for more prime cattle.

Mr Macdonald noted that even the significant uplift in total UK beef production (once an increased cow kill has been factored in) didn’t prevent cow prices from reaching record highs.

“Though, in the calendar year of 2022, the volume of beef added to the UK market still fell by 1%, following on from a 2% reduction in 2021, so this rebound in supply in the final quarter is likely to have been insufficient to replenish tight market supplies,” he added.

The issue is compounded by the UK market is facing external price shocks from the EU and global beef market, where a tight balance between supply and demand has been forcing prices up.

In the final quarter of 2022, the average price per tonne of UK beef exported was up nearly 22% year-on-year, while imports to the UK were priced 10% higher than in late 2021.

Declining national herd set to cause tight supplies

In October 2022, there was an 8% year-on-year reduction in beef-sired females aged 24-29 months on farm in Scotland, meaning that there were fewer replacements available to add to the herd.

The breeding herd in England and Wales was also significantly down on the previous year in January, with a 2.8% reduction in beef-sired females aged 30 months and over.

While the decline has slowed slightly over the past year, the beef herd has reduced at a faster pace in England and Wales than in Scotland over the longer term. Compared to the start of 2018, the number of beef-sired females aged 30 months and over on farm in Scotland was down by 7.9% compared to a fall of 10.7% across England and Wales.

“This steeper contraction in the suckler herd in recent years in England & Wales is likely to have been supporting the demand for Scottish-born store cattle, especially given that the beef herd accounted for a much smaller 43% of the total breeding cow herd in England & Wales at the beginning of 2023 compared to almost 73% in Scotland,” Mr Macdonald remarked.

Last year, the number of cattle aged under 30 months moving from farms in Scotland to farms in England & Wales rose by 35% on 2021 and by 42% above the five-year average.

Although the pace of increase slowed in the second half of the year, this was partly due to a higher base from autumn 2021. Thus, the outflow would still be enough to reduce the prime cattle kill in Scotland by around 2% in the first half of 2023 compared to a scenario of unchanged moves.

“This helps explain why prime cattle availability in Scotland is set to remain tight in the first half of 2023 despite increased calf registrations in 2021,” Mr Macdonald said.

“Looking further ahead, the decline in the breeding herd seen in 2022 is likely to have an impact on calf registrations in spring 2023, with its peak impact on prime cattle availability then occurring in the first quarter of 2025 when these calves reach peak slaughter age at just under two years old.

“However, a reduced breeding herd across GB means that store cattle availability is set to tighten further in autumn 2023 and spring 2024,” he concluded.

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Mobile sheep handling systems such as the Alligator Pro are eligible for grant funding in England and Wales.

According to details published by the RPA on 9^th February, grants under the second round of FETF will be issued for equipment in two main categories: Productivity and Slurry items (Annex 3) and Animal Health and Welfare items (Annex 4).

Within Annex 4, mobile sheep handling systems (FETF69*) capable of handling a minimum of 250 sheep away from the farm’s main holding (and consisting of at least 20 hurdles, a drafting and dosing race and the ability to fit a footbath) are eligible for grant funding to the amount of £3,568. These include units manufactured by Allflex and Prattley.

To be eligible for grant funding, mobile handling systems must be trailer mounted and of all-metal construction. The Alligator, Alligator Pro and Prattley ranges all fall within the required standards and are therefore available at a reduced price through the funding scheme.

Annex 4 also provides grant funding for sheep handlers (up to £1,166), automatic weighing and drafting crates (£5,478 funding), EID panel readers (£597 funding) and electronic weigh crates (£1,020 funding).

Farmers in Wales can also access grants similar to FETF through the Welsh Government’s small grants efficiency scheme.

Beverley Taylor, trade solutions marketing manager for MSD Animal Health, commented: “With farm margins being squeezed by high production costs, it comes as welcome relief that farmers are able to offset around 40% of the cost of key items of equipment through the second round of the Government’s Farming Equipment and Technology Fund.

“It is also reassuring to note that equipment which improves the health and welfare of animals – such as dedicated safe handling systems – has been prioritised within the latest round of grants.”

Making equipment such as sheep handling units more affordable will help farmers better understand and manage growth rates, identify under-performing animals, and ensure stock are finished safely and at the optimum weight, she added.

Moreover, the additional efficiency will make for more environmentally sustainable sheep farming systems in the long run, Ms Taylor explained.

Supporting innovation in the livestock sector

Through the latest round of FETF, livestock farmers in England can also apply to fund herd monitoring systems such as SenseHub and Dataflow II from MSD Animal Health. What’s more, farmers now have the option to use the company’s fertility and health monitoring systems on a subscription basis with no upfront costs, further increasing affordability.

Within Annex 3 of the scheme, heat detection systems (FETF90*) and their associated ear tags and neck collars (FETF91*) are eligible for grant funding to the amounts of £740 and £29 (per tag or collar) respectively.

The costs of investing in a herd monitoring system can also be spread with MSD Animal Health’s simple and affordable ‘GO’ subscription model, available for all SenseHub and Dataflow II application plans.

The GO subscription model enables dairy and beef cows to be monitored for fertility and health purposes with zero upfront costs.

GO gives users access to all the necessary equipment, installation, tags and applications for a single monthly fee and allows full flexibility as farmers’ needs change. The service can be used to monitor multiple groups of animals with MSD Animal Health’s intelligent ear tags and/or neck collars and includes priority customer support and training.

Paul Mitcham, Nationals Sales Manager (Monitoring) MSD Animla Health, commented: “The GO package highlights MSD Animal Health’s commitment to provide a fully supported, service-based solution to herd improvement by offering dairy and beef farmers an affordable, simple and flexible route into the use of herd monitoring technologies.

“All tags, software and ancillary hardware are also automatically updated as and when new upgrades are launched, with farmers therefore able to enjoy all the benefits of herd monitoring – improved herd fertility, enhanced productivity and fewer health issues – without any of the upfront costs, servicing expenses or renewal charges associated with more traditional purchasing models,” he added.

For those who prefer to purchase their monitoring equipment upfront, SenseHub and Dataflow II will remain available to purchase via MSD Animal Health’s ‘UP’ purchase scheme.

For more information and to apply for funding, visit the government website here.

Reducing the risk of low productivity

To help sheep farmers prevent unwanted flock health issues, MSD Animal Health has recently launched its FlockCheck diagnostic scheme, through which producers in England, Scotland and Wales can ask their vet to blood test their flock for exposure to toxoplasmosis and enzootic abortion (EAE).

Ewe reproductive failure, neonatal lamb disease and mortality are the three biggest limiting factors to flock productivity, with toxoplasmosis and enzootic abortion continuing to be among the most common causes.

Therefore, farmers experiencing more than 2% of their flock being barren or aborting this lambing season are being encouraged to contact their vet to take advantage of the subsidised diagnostic scheme.

FlockCheck allows vets to identify whether toxoplasmosis or EAE (or both) are likely to have been involved in any aborted lamb losses, barren ewes or numbers of weak, sickly lambs, aiding the decision for pre-tupping vaccination programmes. This year’s scheme commenced on 1^st February and will run until 30^th June 2023.

MSD Animal Health veterinary adviser Dr Kat Baxter-Smith recommends farmers use the scheme to request blood samples from six to eight aborted, unvaccinated ewes, or from barren ewes or ones that have produced weakly lambs.

She added that blood tests have proven to be an extremely useful flock diagnostic tool in terms of helping to identify the potential presence of any key underlying productivity limiting disease.

According to Dr Baxter-Smith, abortion caused by either toxoplasmosis or EAE can be responsible for reducing the number of lambs per ewes mated, which can increase workload and stress during lambing. Profit may also be reduced significantly, however, FlockCheck can help farmers improve their flock’s overall economic performance.

Toxoplasmosis can be controlled effectively by a simple vaccination regime before ewes go to the ram later in the year.

“(…) Toxoplasmosis, caused by infection with the Toxoplasma gondii parasite, does not just cause abortion. It is also the main infectious cause of early embryo loss in sheep and a very common cause of barren ewes or weak, sickly live lambs.

“It is likely that almost all flocks in Great Britain have been in contact with this endemic parasite, which means all breeding sheep should be considered at risk.”

Dr Baxter-Smith explained the primary reason for such high levels of the disease is that sheep can become infected very easily.

“Sheep pick up the toxoplasma parasite from the environment and so normal biosecurity measures are not enough to control the disease.

“Fortunately, the disease can be controlled effectively by a simple vaccination regime. In reality, every ewe should ideally be vaccinated before she breeds because of the widespread disease threat and the significant financial losses,” she said.

Sheep farmers interested in taking advantage of this industry support from MSD Animal Health should contact their local practice as soon as possible.

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Gwinllan Conwy vineyard in North Wales is in the process of laying down sheep fleeces under all its 3,500 vines. Photo credit: Gwinllan Conwy Vineyard/Facebook

Following a successful trial, the vineyard near Conwy in North Wales is currently in the process of laying down thousands of fleeces under its vine rows to improve the soil, deter weeds, and reflect sunlight back onto grapes, while potentially creating a brand new market for wool.

The idea was suggested to vineyard owner Colin Bennett by well-known sheep farmer and TV presenter Gareth Wyn Jones, who has been using fleeces around his vegetables to deter slugs and feed nutrients into the soil.

“They all looked at me daft,” Mr Jones told the BBC when recounting the scene. “The rest is history, and we are seeing now how fantastic this natural product is. Not only for the vineyard, but hopefully for other businesses to develop – orchards, market gardens – this can be utilised for so many businesses.”

Gwinllan Conwy is the first vineyard to trial the idea, soon to be followed by others in the UK, with inquiries also coming in from vineyards in New Zealand and across the pond.

Seizing on the opportunity, Mr Jones and his son Sior have launched a business called Wool & Wine with the aim of supplying vineyards with sheep fleece produced on farms across the UK.

Speaking to the BBC, Sior Jones said while the cost of shearing a sheep is around £1.50 and fleeces are virtually worthless, Wool & Wine is selling them to the vineyard for £1 each, with the price expected to be pushed up by market demand.

At Gwinllan Conwy vineyard, owners Colin and Charlotte Bennett have been growing vines on just under four acres (1.6 ha) since 2012. The main varieties cultivated are the hybrids Rondo and Solaris, alongside Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, from which the business produces its award-winning sparkling and still wines.

To uncover the true potential of using sheep fleeces, the couple conducted a trial in October 2021, where they laid wool under two vine rows for an entire season. The results, as Mr Bennett described, were “phenomenal”.

“When we got to harvest 2022, we could tell the leaves on those two rows were much darker green, analysis revealed higher nutrient content in those leaves than the ones that didn’t have the fleeces,“ the owner told Farmers Guide.

“We did a soil analysis in January this year to check the effect on the soil, and in general we found the soil had better nutrients under the fleeces,” he added.

Other benefits included providing insulation and retaining moisture in the soil, as well as deterring snails and slugs, which Mr Bennett attributes to the lanolin in the fleece.

However, the two main benefits were increased ripeness of the grapes and the wool acting as a “perfect mulch”, stopping the growth of all grasses and weeds, he said.

“Those two rows with the fleeces had higher sugar levels and we realised it was a bit like skiing when you go and get suntan because you have sunlight bouncing off the snow,” Mr Bennett explained, adding that even an extra degree of alcohol can make a huge difference to the quality of the wines.

“In the past 18 months of using them, we haven’t seen any negatives, they don’t blow away, they embed into the ground, and it’s working really well.

“We are also paying farmers a fair price for the fleece,” he mentioned. “Part of the collaboration with Gareth and his son Sion is to try and promote this on hundreds of vineyards in the UK and put some value back into that part of the sheep farming industry.”

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According to HMRC data, the total value of red meat shipments increased 22 per cent year-on-year, with over 609,000 tonnes exported globally, a nine per cent increase on 2021.

Beef exports made up the majority of the gain, the value of which is up nearly 46 per cent totalling £640 million, as a result of the recovery of trade with the EU. Whereas, pig meat exports increased by almost 10 per cent to £623 million, while sheep meat exports rose by 13 per cent year-on-year to £503 million.

AHDB international market development director Dr Phil Hadley said: “We are thrilled by these latest figures, which show 2022 was an incredibly strong year for all three of our red meat sectors, with values at their highest since records began in 2009.

“Last year, we saw strong growth in some of our key target markets, such as Canada, Japan and Europe, which remains the UK’s most valuable market. We also saw new opportunities created for pork exports to Chile and lamb to the US, which both have the potential to help bolster these figures over the coming year.”

A large part of AHDB’s work concerns securing market access and international trade opportunities on behalf of levy payers, in partnership with the UK government and industry. The organisation’s role includes supporting:

• Export health certification
• Site approvals for export
• Inspection audits from overseas Government officials
• Facilitating trade development in key strategic markets
• Presence at key trade shows and buyer events

In 2022, Japan proved a prominent market for beef, importing 3,175 tonnes worth £16.3 million, a 68 per cent rise in value compared to the previous year. Canada has also increased its shipments of beef from the UK, with imports worth a total of £13.1 million, representing a 77 per cent rise year-on-year.

With regards to the pig sector, the amount of pig meat exported last year rose by six per cent to 372,597 tonnes, with China remaining the largest importer, taking 126,723 tonnes valued at almost £203 million.

Meanwhile, the Philippines continues to be the world’s third biggest importer of pig meat from the UK, with exports up 33 per cent to 33,861 tonnes, worth £52 million. Shipments to the US have also seen an increase, with last year’s exports amounting to almost £28 million.

Continuing the trend, sheep meat exports were also up 7.8 per cent in volume to 78,844 tonnes, with the EU taking the largest share, importing 94 per cent of the total shipments.

Dr Hadley added: “These figures show the value of exports, and the benefits new markets bring to the UK’s red meat sectors. We will continue to work with government and wider industry to identify and open new markets for our exporters to ensure our meat is enjoyed in more countries around the world.”

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Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has had a considerable impact on UK agriculture and the wider economy, largely due to increased energy, fuel, and fertiliser costs.

As noted in the 2022/23 edition of the Farm Management Handbook, fertiliser prices have more than tripled since 2021, with grain prices also elevated well above last year’s levels. As a result, farm businesses came under significant strain, compounded by the hike in energy and fuel prices.

Editor Alastair Beattie, agricultural consultant at SAC Consulting, part of Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), commented: “Just when it appeared life was beginning to return to some form of normality in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, February 2022 saw Russian forces invade Ukraine, triggering turmoil in gas and energy markets around the world, and raising concerns over food security.

“The Russian invasion of Ukraine has hit the agricultural sector hard, most notably because of the high level of reliance on Russian gas for energy requirements in western European economies. It has also produced serious knock-on consequences for agricultural supply industries, such as the fertiliser trade.”

While the crisis has led to higher input costs for farmers, the value of outputs has also increased in the dairy, beef, and sheep sectors, this year’s handbook notes.

However, gross margins for beef farmers have still reduced throughout the industry, as the rise in variable costs has far outweighed the increase in beef prices. Whereas, the sheep and arable sectors showed mixed results depending on various factors like the farm system or type of crops being grown.

Meanwhile, gross margins in the dairy industry have shown improvement over the past year due to the increase in farmgate milk prices making up for the variable cost rise.

With that being said, an increase in gross margins is not a direct indicator of improved farm profitability, SAC Consulting points out. Gross margins are calculated by deducting only variable costs, such as vet bills, fertiliser, feeds, seed and sprays from the overall output. Fixed costs such as labour, energy, machinery, and rent represent additional expenses not included in these figures.

The 2022/23 Farm Management Handbook, published by the Scottish Government’s Farm Advisory Service and edited by SAC Consulting, can be found here. A printed version will soon be available shortly from SAC Consulting, for £30 plus postage and packaging.

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The 200ha rented farm in Welshpool is run by Marc Jones, the 2021 winner of the British Grassland Society Grassland Farmer of the Year competition, who focuses on achieving the highest number of kilos of beef produced per hectare.

“To maintain a profitable business, we need to adopt an approach which suits our land,” says Mr Jones. “For us, that means making the most of every hectare, and finishing our cattle and sheep off grass, with minimal additional inputs.”

Mr Jones and his family run a herd of 700 Aberdeen Angus dairy-cross cattle, alongside 630 New Zealand Romney sheep.

“We lamb outdoors from the 1st April, selling our lambs to Tesco via Kepak. The flock is out-wintered on fodder beet with the aim of rearing 1.45 lambs per ewe to a target carcass weight of 19.5kg off grass,” he explains.

“On the beef side, we buy in 350 Aberdeen Angus cross dairy heifer calves every autumn at three weeks of age. The calves are reared through the first winter, where they are transferred from milk and ad lib concentrates to high quality grass silage before turnout. The cattle are then grazed at grass before being wintered on fodder beet for their second winter. Finally, they’re turned back onto grass in the spring to be finished at 22-24 months.

“The aim is to finish off grass,” he notes. “For the cattle, our target is to achieve a lifetime gain of at least 0.7kg daily live weight gain (DLWG) in order to achieve a carcass weight of around 300kg.”

Choosing a breed fit for the future

Mr Jones first introduced Aberdeen Angus genetics in 2017.

“We chose Aberdeen Angus genetics initially because of the premium offer by the end market – it stacks up for us with our dairy cross genetics. Aberdeen Angus beef is also renowned for its high meat-eating quality, which means there’s always a demand for our meat. Every penny counts, so having a breed that is known as a ‘brand’ in its own right by the consumer, is a sensible business decision.

“The genetic make-up of the cattle also suits our system, allowing us to produce the best beef we can,” he adds.

One key performance indicator (KPI) at Trefnant Hall Farm is kilos of meat per hectare.

“We aim across beef and lamb to produce 1,000kg of live weight/ha, with our cattle making up a big proportion of this. One of the key attributes of the Aberdeen Angus breed is its ability to convert grazed grass to meat, so again a big plus point for our system.”

Marc Jones.

Making the most of every sward

The topography of Trefnant Hall means grass forms the foundation of the system.

“We’re on rented land on two farms ranging from 185–340m above sea level, so we have to base our business model on good grassland and forage management,” says Mr Jones. “We’re happy with the number of animals we’re rearing, so it’s all about maximising the production of what we have.”

As part of the GrassCheck project, weekly grass measurements are taken so performance is monitored and benchmarked. “We’ve used this data to tweak the leys we grow, adding in more herbal mixes. We now include cocksfoot, chicory, white clover and plantain as well as red clover to support the young cattle growth.”

Alongside the permanent pasture, 22.5ha of fodder beet is grown for cattle and sheep to be out-wintered on.

“For our silage, we grow around 16ha of short-term leys which are silaged and clamped ready for the winter to feed our weaned calves. Long-term leys are used for round bale silage to feed cattle when they’re on the fodder beet. In a good year, we hope to get 650 bales from 40ha.

“It’s all about making small improvements for big gains, and we’ve found that paying close attention to what goes into our cattle and sheep is shown in the end result,” he concludes.

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Nick Allen, CEO of the BMPA, is calling for a temporary relaxation of the post-Brexit immigration rules to help tackle the chronic labour shortages in the meat industry.

In the longer term, re-training and re-skilling of British workers is needed to encourage uptake of jobs in food production and other industries.

The comments come after meat industry leaders met with the government to discuss how businesses could work with prisons to address the large number of vacancies.

With much of the food industry facing a recruitment crisis, the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers (AIMS) said several of its members are now speaking with the New Futures Network, part of HM Prisons & Probation Service, about opportunities within their businesses – mainly for prison leavers.

Could day-release prisoners offer a solution?

AIMS said a few of its members already have offenders on Release on Temporary License (ROTL) who are working for them, and report they are “well behaved, hard-working, and willing to learn”. In some cases they wish to continue working in the food processing industry after their release.

ROTL allows prisoners to be released temporarily into the community for specific purposes such as to engage in employment, to maintain family ties or to receive medical treatment.

At least three leading food manufacturers are already linked up with prisons to train offenders for post-release positions, AIMS added, and many prisons already teach offenders food safety. AIMS has suggested prisons look at some of the other free training available, such as the FSA’s Allergen training and Vacuum Packing training in order that offenders can leave prisons ‘job ready’.

AIMS believes the prison service’s existing Clink Kitchens Scheme, which has plans to expand, could go some of the way to helping ease the labour shortage in both the hospitality and food manufacturing sectors.

Schemes need “careful management and input”

The BMPA acknowledged that the industry has a long history of working with ex-offenders and, over the years, some of its members have offered great opportunities in their local communities to those coming out of the prison system.

However, Nick Allen stressed that these schemes require careful management and considered input from businesses, which can be a challenge.

“Participation in these schemes is to be encouraged but they should not be regarded as a quick fix for the current labour problem,” he said. “They can’t simply be treated as a source of casual or seasonal workers.

“Our members are very aware that these schemes require considered input from both the businesses and the local authorities involved to make sure they provide the kind of support needed to integrate these new workers into companies. Hygiene, health and safety considerations are an added layer of consideration for food producers.”

Even programmes for those who have already left prison, such as those run by organisations supported by The Prince’s Trust, require “careful management”.

Mr Allen added: “But the Release On Temporary License (ROTL) scheme adds an extra level of complexity. It requires more organisation and supervision which meat companies that are already short of staff find hard to resource, particularly given the additional Covid challenges.”

He concluded: “We fully support members’ efforts to help people in their local communities to re-enter the workforce, the problem they are facing right now can only be addressed properly in the short term by temporarily relaxing our post-Brexit immigration rules. This would alleviate the labour shortage now while the country embarks on the longer-term re-training and re-skilling of British workers to take up jobs in food production and other industries.”

Commenting on the proposals, British Veterinary Association president James Russell was supportive of new ways to address labour shortages, but stressed the importance of animal welfare, food safety and public health.

“Throughout the food chain we are seeing enormous workforce shortages exacerbated by Brexit and the pandemic. It’s useful to consider innovative ways to boost the workforce as long as food safety, public health, and animal health and welfare remain at the heart of food supply.

“The role of vets within abattoirs to ensure safety and welfare is paramount and we remain particularly concerned about veterinary shortages in this critical area.”

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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.

Siony was selected at random having registered for the prize draw to win one tonne of sheep Rumevite forage supplement blocks as part of the NSA October Feeding the Flock webinar series. The prize was kindly donated by webinar sponsor Rumenco, who are delighted to be able to offer this prize in support of NSA and wish Siony every success with her fledgling business.

Siony comments: “With a starter flock of Welsh mountain ewes, we were thrilled to receive the prize of one tonne of Rumevite 14” feed blocks. It will help to maintain our ewe’s condition throughout the winter, this will be essential as they spend it on rough upland grazing that we currently farm.”

As an enthusiastic and entrepreneurial young farmer Siony recognises the importance of exploring all options for her business, developing a small wool business during the first Covid-19 lockdown alongside her twin sister and it was this new fledgling business that was the reason for Siony joining the NSA and British Wool webinar in October.

Siony continues: “We were interested in British Wool and joined the NSA webinar on the ‘Current wool market situation and British Wool’s consumer focussed marketing strategy’. It was interesting to be presented with the facts and figures on wool and understand how wool is an underused and seriously undervalued product.

“Our new business ‘Wool and Raddle’ was set up in response to the poor wool prices this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. We are exploring options for our wool and documenting our creative journey on Instagram @woolandraddle”.

The October webinar series included a range of informative sessions delivering advice for sheep farmers planning their feeding regimes as well as other industry updates. All webinars from the series are still available to watch again at www.nationalsheep.org.uk/webinars.

The post Young British wool enthusiast wins prize to help growing business appeared first on Farmers Guide.