Red Tractor News-in-Brief
News-in-brief: Poultry briefing, consumer focus on British Sugar, new research on impacts of bTB on farmers' mental health, and progress on reducing antibiotics in pork production.
Remarkable 75% drop in antibiotic use in pig sector
Through our livestock Standards, Red Tractor aims to support the responsible use of medicines . For instance, Red Tractor assured pig units submit their antibiotic usage data on a quarterly basis to eMB-Pigs, the industry’s national database.
This data enables the UK pig sector to track its usage of antibiotics and evidence progress against the RUMA Targets Task Force reduction targets.
Tracking this data has shown a remarkable total reduction of 75% since 2015. The collaborative efforts made by British pig producers and vets to reduce the use of antibiotics, administered by Red Tractor standards have combined to achieve this important industry wide reduction.
The industry has also been making progress on Medicine Hub for ruminant sectors, and we will continue to support wider industry efforts to drive this work forward.
Read more on the AHDB data here
British Sugar on “Inside The Factory”
Also in the news – the process of British sugar production has recently appeared on the hit BBC show, ‘Inside the Factory’, hosted by Gregg Wallace.
The program sheds light on the fact that in Britain, we proudly produce our own sugar.
400,000 tonnes of sugar are produced annually in the UK, all of which Red Tractor assured with retail packs proudly carrying the logo, serving to demonstrate British Sugar’s continued support for us and their farmers.
Watch the episode on BBC iPlayer.
New Poultry Technical Briefing
In case you missed it – in light of challenges with Avian Influenza we have altered the assessment schedules for Red Tractor Poultry Scheme members.
This is to ensure that each scheme member receives at least two audits within a 24-month period, with at least one being a physical, on farm audit.
Such changes to the audit cycle reflect the determination of Red Tractor to maintain the effectiveness of poultry assessments, whilst simultaneously advancing the already prominent levels of biosecurity within the industry.
Click here to access the Technical Briefing
Take part: Your chance to contribute to new study on impact of bovine tuberculosis on farmers’ mental health
Right now, there’s an opportunity to share your thoughts on the impact that bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in cows can have on farmers’ mental health.
The Farming Community Network is seeking UK farmers’ feedback on the subject in order to explore the emotional, financial, and physical impacts of bTB and the long-term ramifications that could be suffered as a result. The FCN is attempting to find out more and help anyone affected through the utilization of a survey.
You can share your experience in under 10 minutes.
This year’s Pig Industry Scholarship placement student Annis Cousins reflects on her year with the Red Tractor technical team, as she returns to complete her studies at Harper Adams university.
In my role as technical coordinator, I have been working alongside the technical team in the overseeing the farm standards and ensuring there is robust compliance all year round. I have worked on a variety of projects, ranging from regenerative agriculture scheme benchmarking to writing guidance and derogations for the poultry sector. The projects have not only given me a cross-sector insight of the industry, but also a perspective on assurance that many would never get the opportunity to gauge.
I have also been fortunate enough to be involved with the Sector Board and Standards Committee meetings which have given me exposure to industry leaders and stakeholders coming together, working collaboratively to ensure there is a future for British produce.
A notable highlight of my time at Red Tractor is undoubtedly my attendance at key events, such as Cereals and a hugely insightful visit to Dovecote Park – a British beef, veal, and venison supplier possessing state-of-the-art technology like the dry-aging robotic storage room. Another invaluable experience for me was spending a few days with Yorkwold Pigpro on their farms in East Yorkshire. I spent a day learning about how their business works with a tour of the nucleus breeding unit, followed by two days working on a breeding unit, which gave me some insightful hands-on experience and the opportunity to gain practical skills. I must also mention the teambuilding days which have not only been great fun, but also provided rewarding opportunities to share experiences and develop ideas within the team.
Finally, I would like to thank all the management team at Red Tractor for their help, support, and for giving me such a tremendous opportunity to learn.
