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.

Tesco has confirmed that a “small number” of its bags of British carrots, carrying the Red Tractor logo, were mistakenly labelled as having been grown in Spain.

After a photograph of a bag of ‘British carrots’ labelled ‘grown in Spain’ began circulating on social media, Tesco has confirmed that the bag was incorrectly labelled.

The labelling mishap provoked a flurry of concerned and bewildered posts after a photograph of the bag was posted on social media. Many were quick to raise concerns that the packaging carried the Red Tractor logo despite being labelled as grown in Spain.

A Tesco spokesperson said: “A small number of bags of our British carrots were incorrectly labelled as having been grown in Spain. We are sorry for the confusion caused and would like to reassure our customers that all of our carrots described as British are grown in the UK.”

Red Tractor has been contacted for comment.

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At the end of the Transition Period, the new and independent Geographical Indications (GI) schemes promise to ensure that popular and traditional produce from across the country, such as Scotch whisky and Welsh lamb, will be granted special status to mark its authenticity and origin.

Defra says this will allow shoppers to buy their favourite food and drink with confidence, and producers whose foods are granted GI status will benefit from intellectual property protection so that others cannot imitate them. GIs are highly valued by producers and are exemplars of the wide range of quality British products enjoyed around the world. They represent around a quarter of UK food and drink exports by value, approaching £6bn in export value in 2019.

GIs are only awarded to highlight regional and traditional foods whose authenticity and origin can be guaranteed. The new logos representing the unique and protected nature of these products to consumers have now been unveiled, and can be displayed on all British produce which is given GI status.

Environment secretary George Eustice said: “The new UK protected food name scheme will replace the old EU one and will ensure that we continue to recognise and celebrate protected food names and local recipes across our country.

“The new logos launched today will become a staple on supermarket aisles in the UK and mean shoppers will be able to pick the best of British, from Scotch whisky and Welsh lamb to Cornish clotted cream.”

Rodda’s Creamery managing director, Nicholas Rodda, said: “The UK is celebrated for producing some of the very best food and drink in the world. The new GI status will not only strengthen the authenticity of our Cornish clotted cream on a global stage, but also provide new opportunities for our business conversations internationally.

“We were delighted to be involved in the development of the GI logos, ensuring the prestigious nature of the PDO is represented within the new designs. The new GI status will ensure consumers can continue to enjoy Cornish clotted cream with knowledge that it has been made in Cornwall, with Cornish milk and crafted using traditional methods.”

There are three UK GI logos, which were developed in conjunction with GI producers, Devolved Administrations and consumers, and mark each designation of geographical indication:

• Protected designation of origin (PDO)
• Protected geographical indication (PGI)
• Traditional speciality guaranteed (TSG)

The UK GI schemes will replace the EU’s schemes on 1st January 2021 as the Transition Period ends. Legislation laid in Parliament this week will:

• Provide the legal framework in England, Scotland and Wales to administer and enforce the GI schemes
• Ensure continued protection of existing UK-origin GIs and non-UK GIs agreed through trade agreements
• Establish the new UK logo in law and ensure EU GI logos are no longer required on GB products
• Simplify the application process

Registered producers of British food, drink and agricultural GI products that are required to use the logos will have until 1st January 2024 to change packaging to display the new UK GI logos. This timeframe will enable producers to introduce the logos to their products in good time. Guidance is available on GOV.UK including for the simplified process on new UK GI application.

The post New rules and logos to protect British food and drink appeared first on Farmers Guide.

The Business and Policy Conference, sponsored by Lely, Barclays and ForFarmers, traditionally takes the form of a one-day event, but will this year consist of three bite-sized webinars taking place on 2nd, 4th and 6th November.

The hour-long webinars hosted on Zoom will kick off at 10.30am allowing farmers to complete the morning milking. Listeners can also put forward questions live to each of the speakers consisting of government officials, industry experts and farmers.

Tim Mordan, Deputy Director at the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and Nicolas Saphir, Dairy Chair at AHDB will be kicking off the first session on Future Farming Policy.

The second session on 4 November will be focussing on how the UK dairy market will look post January on a domestic front and for exports. Speakers include MP Victoria Prentis- Under Secretary of State at DEFRA; Dr Judith Bryans, Chief Executive of Dairy UK; and Simon Tunnicliffe, Head of Field Operations at the Food Standards Agency.

The last session will include a panel debate with the previous NMR/RABDF Gold Cup winners looking at the issues, challenges, and opportunities for UK dairy producers. This will be chaired by Oliver McEntyre, Barclays National Agriculture Strategy Director, who will use his extensive knowledge of dairy farming coupled with banking knowledge to help the panel address the current topical issues facing UK dairy producers.

Commenting on the conference, RABDF Managing Director Matt Knight said: “This year more than ever it is important farmers and those within the industry keep abreast with what is coming down the line with regards to policy and business matters.

“Not only have we got Brexit to contend with, we also have the Agriculture Bill going through parliament, a possible reform when it comes to dairy contracts as well as trade uncertainties brought about because of COVID-19.

“The series of webinars is designed for dairy farmers as well as those involved in the dairy industry to keep everyone abreast of the challenges and opportunities ahead,” he said.

The free webinars will take place at 10.30am with registration opening at 10am. The sessions can be viewed live and after the sessions have ended. Registration is required by going to www.rabdf.co.uk/business-policy-conference

RABDF Business and Policy Conference 2020 outline:   

Webinar 1: 2nd November, 10.30am  

Title: Future of Dairy Farming 

Introduction by Peter Alvis, RABDF Chairman

Speakers: Lesley Griffiths MS Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs, Welsh Government (Invited); Tim Mordan, DEFRA Deputy Director; Nicolas Saphir, Dairy Chair at AHDB

Webinar 2 – Wednesday 4th November, 10.30am

Trading and Food standards for the UK Dairy Market 

Introduction by Mike King, RABDF Council Member and previous RABDF Chair

Speakers:  Victoria Prentis MP – Under Secretary of State at DEFRA; Dr Judith Bryans, Chief Executive of Dairy UK; Simon Tunnicliffe, Head of Field Operations, Food Standards Agency

Webinar 3 – Friday 6th November, 10.30am

Issues, challenges and opportunities for today’s dairy producers

Introduction by Oliver McEntyre, Agriculture Director, Barclays Bank

Panel discussion:  Mike King, Neil Baker, Bill Higgins and Philip Metcalfe

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Responding to the government’s consultation on the proposed 260,000 tonne tariff-free quota, NFU Sugar board chairman Michael Sly said that the quota could lead to growers choosing not to grow the crop any longer and would threaten the future of the sector.

Mr Sly said: “The government’s proposals to introduce a huge tariff-free quota for raw cane sugar producers would undoubtedly have a significant impact on Britain’s 3,000 sugar beet growers. If it is introduced, it would see our farmers, who follow some of the most stringent regulations in the world, undercut by imported sugar produced in ways that would be illegal here.

“The UK homegrown sugar industry is a true British success story and is one of the most efficient sugar producers in the world. But British growers cannot compete against growers who follow a different rulebook.

“Tariff-free sugar imports from anywhere in the world would distort the market for British farmers and could force many growers to stop growing sugar beet completely, putting a successful British industry at risk. Years of efficiency gains and technological advances would be threatened. It would be an incredibly short-sighted move with grave ramifications.

“The UK currently provides some of the poorest countries in the world with important preferential market access to promote development through trade. Tariff-free access from anywhere in the world would be particularly damaging to the poorest cane producers in developing countries, largely in southern Africa, who would lose the value of preferential access to the UK sugar market, contrary to the government’s stated manifesto commitment to ‘a free but fair’ international trade policy ‘in particular towards the developing nations’.

“We are urging the government to abandon these proposals and demonstrate that they are committed to upholding the standards British sugar beet growers produce to. There are better ways of achieving the UK’s trade policy aims than a blunt instrument that would damage a significant part of the rural economy.”

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