News in brief
Defending the standards you work to and slurry storage grants
Red Tractor will always defend its standards and the farming businesses which comply with them.
Working behind the scenes over recent weeks, the team have been challenging more claims by animal rights activists in the media.
Red Tractor defended the industry when The Observer asked us about Open Cages’ take on last year’s pre-slaughter broiler death statistics. 2022 was of course an unprecedently difficult year for the poultry industry across Europe. Both Avian Flu and the extreme heat affected all birds, no matter the breed.
In our statement and briefing to The Observer – and working alongside the British Poultry Council – we were able to establish the facts and secure balance in the eventual write up.
Anti-livestock campaigners Viva! targeted a Red Tractor dairy farm, alleging to the Metro newspaper mistreatment of cattle and even cannibalism. Following our team’s thorough investigations of the video footage provided by Viva and then an on-site spot check of the farm to verify the footage and veterinary paperwork, we found no evidence of systemic issues on farm.
While Viva!’s claims ended up in print, the investigations provided Red Tractor with evidence to defend the farm in the Metro’s article.
This evidence base is vital when dealing with the press, as it enables us to robustly defend farms that comply with standards from allegations made by animal welfare activists.
A better story:
In BBC Radio 4’s new series, Fed, celebrity doctor Chris Van Tulleken’s goes behind the scenes of the UK’s chicken industry. As part of his investigation into the UK’s most popular food, Red Tractor took him to a Moy Park chicken unit in Lincolnshire where he shadowed a Red Tractor assessment.
His report (episode 5) is an excellent reflection on the UK’s chicken industry, which is underpinned by Red Tractor standards.
Click to listen to the episode, “Fine Print”
How we move quickly and keep pressure on retailers to get things right.
You might have noticed on social media last month, images of misprinted packs of spinach in a Lidl store. Red Tractor started an investigation as soon as we became aware.
Within two days this had already included an unannounced check on the relevant packing site. We have established that following human error the Red Tractor logo has been used incorrectly by Lidl's supply chain. All relevant packs were identified and Lidl confirmed none were on the shelf.
We take cases of this nature very seriously, and we expect Lidl to take action with their supply chain to improve processes and controls. Lidl have agreed to investigate further and our own investigation is ongoing.
This month we published our new Food Heroes book.
A celebration of British household brands, foodservice operators and food manufacturers that licence their products against the rigorous standards that Red Tractor Assured food and drink is produced to.
From January we'll be running a new social media campaign aimed at shoppers that uses this content to showcase our licencees in their own words and illustrate why they have chosen to partner with Red Tractor.
The Red Tractor logo is on many of the brands we know and love, a symbol that the food in our homes is safe, traceable and farmed with care.
Keep your eyes peeled for our new consumer-facing campaign.
Farmers in the UK are being issued a warning regarding the bluetongue virus.
This caution comes after the disease has been detected in several cows in Kent. While peak midge activity is coming to an end and not all susceptible animals immediately exhibit signs of infection the consequences of Bluetongue can be serious, even fatal.
The first incident had been detected in one cow at a farm in Canterbury, Kent, on November 11. Defra and APHA confirmed the cow had been culled with a 10km temporary control zone in operation around the affected farm to restrict the movement of susceptible animals.
However, four more cases have been identified at two additional new farms in Canterbury, both within 5km of the first finding.
Click: Visit the APHA website for the latest information on bluetongue.
Defra has announced that farmers in England can apply for the new round of the Slurry Infrastructure grant.
£74 million of grant funding is available in Round 2, which is more than double the funding offered in Round 1.
The grant seeks to help farmers invest in improved slurry infrastructure to tackle water pollution, improve air quality and make better use of organic nutrients. It forms part of a total £200 million being invested by Defra in infrastructure and equipment to tackle agricultural pollution from slurry over the agricultural transition period.
Farmers can apply for grants of £25k - £250k towards different types of slurry store, slurry store cover and supporting equipment. Several improvements have been made to the scheme following feedback from industry after the first round. These include an increase in the amount of storage pig farmers can apply for; offering grants towards a slurry separator; and the option to retrofit covers onto existing stores.
The grant forms part of the government’s Plan for Water which sets out more investment and stronger regulation to tackle every source of water pollution.
Click: read the full Defra Slurry Infrastructure grant guidance and what’s on offer
The Animal and Plant Health Agency have stressed in latest guidance the importance of reducing disease risks associated with animal feed storage units.
The guidance covers the choice of appropriate storage locations, cleaning and decommissioning of silos used before 1st August 1996, and regular cleaning of all feed storage facilities.
The APHA also is advising farmers to empty and clean storage units before new consignments arrive, at least every 12 months, using methods that minimise contamination and avoid moisture and dust generation.
Click: visit the APHA website for more information
Recordings of this year's Responsible use of Medicines in Agriculture Alliance (RUMA) Conference are now available to view online.
Each event featured panel discussions covering a range of topics relating to the responsible use of medicines in agriculture.
The recordings feature industry speakers who provided their insight into a variety of responsible use topics, including the global and UK state of medicine use in agriculture, the environmental implications of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and the importance of expanding approaches to AMR beyond livestock.
Click: watch the RUMA Conference event recordings
The Welsh Government is now in the final stages of its consultation on the Sustainable Farming Scheme, the biggest shift in Welsh agricultural policy for a generation or more.
Welsh Government has launched its consultation on the final proposals for the Sustainable Farming Scheme – the scheme set to replace the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) legacy schemes, including the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS), from 2025.
Click: View the full consultation on the Welsh Government website
