AHDB to stop funding financially established and self-sustaining Red Tractor

The levy body said future funding may be provided if specific projects were identified to be to the benefit of levy payers AHDB has said it will no longer provide its annual funding into Red Tractor as it was now a ‘financially established and self-sustaining' body'.The levy body said it agreed to put levy funding into Red Tractor following an industry consultation in 2008, which backed the development of a comprehensive food quality assurance scheme to consolidate farm audits and the development of a single label as the manifestation of trusted production standards.It comes as levy payers raise concerns around grain imports and assurance and whether the controls in place for imported grain provide the same levels of assurance.This decision has taken effect from this financial year however Red Tractor has been informed future funding could be provided if specific projects were identified that would be to the benefit of levy payers.AHDB chair Nicholas Saphir said: "It remains AHDB's clear position that farm assurance is necessary and important to farming success, as a consumer benchmark, or ‘kite mark', denoting safety, quality and provenance and/or in helping farmers achieve premium prices where food is produced to particular standards which customers and consumers attach additional value."Red Tractor is now well established and it no longer requires AHDB's basic annual financial support," he said."However, AHDB has informed Red Tractor that it would continue to consider providing funds for specific work or projects that are deemed to add demonstrable value to levy payers or help levy payers to reach agreed standards."In addition, where there are issues, AHDB will continue to ask the tough questions and use its independence and evidence-based approach to facilitate the finding of solutions between Red Tractor and its' stakeholders." On the issue of grain imports, Mr Saphir said work was continuing and it was a 'very high priority' for some of their levy payers."We have written to Red Tractor, following feedback from levy payers on our sector councils who raised a number of points which match views being expressed from some of the wider industry, including."These included: A perceived lack of clarity and understanding by consumers, some stakeholders, levy payers and the industry of the role of Red Tractor. It questioned whether it was a robust baseline assurance scheme or a marketing opportunity to achieve a premium, or both, and if both, whether that is possible without multiple levels of standards.