Making Farm Assurance Easier to Understand new Beef and Lamb Quick Guide

A new Quick Guide summarising the standards and rules of the Red Tractor Farm Assurance Beef and Lamb Scheme has been published and sent to more than 21,000 members in England.

The A5 leaflet summarises how the beef and lamb scheme works including how to join, choice of certification bodies, assessment criteria and how to maintain assurance once certified. It lists the Scheme standards together with the most common areas of non- conformance picked up by assessors. To help farmers prepare for an assessment, the standards which require a record are highlighted, and tick boxes are provided so a quick self-assessment can be done to make sure everything is in order.

The Quick Guide was put together following comments from members that the Red Tractor Farm Assurance Scheme manual was too large and off putting. Philippa Wiltshire, Beef and Lamb Sector Manager, said: We hope this Quick Guide will provide members with what they have been asking for and also help explain briefly what new members need to know about how the Scheme works.

The Red Tractor Scheme is the main beef and lamb farm assurance scheme in England with over 21,000 members who join through one of three licensed certification bodies (NSF-CMI, PAI and SAI Global FABBL). Successfully completing the assessment and becoming farm assured enables beef and lamb farmers to take advantage of preferential prices* and expand the number of outlets animals can be marketed to as many buyers insist on farm assured livestock.

As record keeping is often the area where farmers slip up we have highlighted all standards which require a record and templates for each can be found in the full Scheme manual, added Mrs Wiltshire. It is important though that members understand this Quick Guide does not replace the full Scheme manual which they will still need as it provides the detailed rules and standards.

Copies of the free Quick Guide are currently being sent to assured livestock markets so farmers interested in joining the scheme can pick up a copy. Alternatively further copies are available from the beef and lamb licensed certification bodies or Red Tractor Beef and Lamb, an electronic version is also available on the beef and lamb farm section of www.redtractorassurance.org.uk.

For further information please contact Red Tractor Beef and Lamb on 01908 393750 or afsbeefandlamb@abm.org.uk

• The Red Tractor Farm Assurance Scheme covers six sectors – Beef & Lamb, Dairy, Fresh Produce, Combinable Crops & Sugar Beet, Pigs and Poultry.
• Farmers wishing to join the Red Tractor Farm Assurance Beef and Lamb Scheme can choose between three licensed certification bodies, NSF-CMi, PAI or SAI Global FABBL.
• Standards for all sectors have been developed and are regularly revised by some of the top industry experts to ensure that food safety, animal welfare and environmental standards are maintained and continually reflect consumer demand.
• An impressive 78,000 farmers and growers are part of the Red Tractor Assurance chain, all committed to maintaining high standards of food safety and hygiene, animal welfare and environmental protection.
• Red Tractor helps demonstrate the high standards followed by producers and gives consumers the assurance they need that the food they are buying meets strict standards of food safety, animal welfare and environmental protection with a guarantee of origin.
• Red Tractor standards are maintained all the way from farm to pack. All Red Tractor farmers, processors and packers are regularly inspected by independent experts who conduct thousands of audits each year offering consumers total transparency and traceability.
• The flag in the Red Tractor logo guarantees the origin of the food. So the Union Jack flag tells you that the product has been farmed, processed and packed in the UK.
• The Red Tractor logo provides transparency for consumers and differentiates quality assured products.
• The Red Tractor logo now features on products with an annual retail sales value of 10 billion.
• All major retailers and supermarkets and more than 500 leading companies use the logo.
• The Red Tractor is backed by leading food businesses including 500 packers and over 2000 food service outlets, all promoting quality assured food in the UK, who must adhere to Red Tractor standards involving food safety.
• The Red Tractor was launched in 2000.