NFU hits out at biofuel red tape

The NFU has accused grain merchants of burdening farmers who supply biofuel crops with unnecessary red tape.

The charge came after UK merchants issued farmers with forms to sign that would confirm their crops complied with the sustainability standards of the Renewable Energy Directive.

The forms are part of a new German scheme called RedCert, but the union stressed this was voluntary and only recognised in that country.

Growers were already audited under the Red Tractor scheme and the extra paperwork was both unnecessary and could jeopardise the UK’s competitiveness, said NFU combinable crops board chairman Ian Backhouse.

“We need to make growers aware that they needn’t be pressured into giving any additional information to UK merchants or any other EU trade body without reward or compensation for higher burden and risk.

“There is no real justification for this new form as our growers are already audited under the Red Tractor scheme to ensure they meet the sustainable requirements needed to sell grain into the EU under the Renewable Energy Directive.”

The NFU had gone to “considerable efforts” to make sure the Red Tractor schemes complied with new legislation under the directive, he added.

“The NFU will be working with colleagues in Brussels to ensure our members are not put at any competitive disadvantage or sucked into any unnecessary audit quagmire,” Mr Backhouse said.

Jon Duffy, trading director at Frontier Agriculture, said RedCert forms had been introduced to ensure crops destined for biofuel plants could be tagged as sustainable.

“The legislation has been imposed by the biofuel industry. It’s an additional market we can’t afford to ignore, but it comes with certain terms and conditions.”

Oilseed rape prices particularly were driven by the biofuel market, he added.

“You don’t want to trade without access to that market. Non-sustainable produce has much lower value.

“The ACCS scheme has not been ratified by the European Commission, so we are asking growers to fill in this very simple form.”

Mr Duffy expected the commission to accept the ACCS standard for biofuels by next summer. “This is a short-term issue – we are only filling the gap.”