Archive Article: 1997/09/06
Merchant assurance on certified seed
Your comment on the quality assurance scheme (Crops w/e 16 August) being used used to push certified seed is guilty of generalisation and gives a misleading impression.
While I cannot comment on other merchants style of business we indeed do offer buy-back contracts whereby the farmer is required to buy certified seed as part of what is purely and simply a commercial deal.
No seed, no buy-back – no problem judging by the big increase in buy-back contracts being offered this year on all types of grains. There is much talk that if a particular malting or milling variety is sold then the premiums will be reduced, so what better logic than to take advantage of a buy-back contract – safeguarding your premium in the event of a surplus.
You will note that I havent mentioned farm assurance schemes, but surely more end consumers will want full traceability. That will include the need for certified seed to have been used.
It is unfair for you to suggest that we are taking advantage of the industrys farm assurance initiatives. Indeed it is often the merchant who takes the initiative in offering buy-back contracts, with or without, the backing of the end consumer to meet the demand of the grower who is and has become more aware of growing for that end market.
Finally you quote that it may not take a genius to work out who will benefit most – may I suggest your assumption here is incorrect.
The farmer will benefit from a guaranteed market and premium, the grain merchant from the marketing of the farmers grain, the seed department from some extra tonnage and the end consumer will benefit from a guaranteed supply of what they want – thats what I call pure genius.
Tim Hirst
BDR Grain, Harvest House, Bourne, Lincs
More assurance
I would like to point out that merchants, as well as processors, are well within their rights to dictate growing contract terms that provide their customers with the confidence they need on product quality. Equally farmers are well within their rights to ignore such growing contracts and sell to customers who do not operate to such high standards.
UKASTA has put every effort into developing an industry-wide Assured Combinable Crops Scheme that improves and safeguards food safety for everyones long term benefit.
Traceability is an essential part of this process. A number of our members have entered into long term contracts, some overseas, where traceability is required for inputs – and even the exact Ordnance map reference for the crop grown is needed too.
Understandably, the merchants concerned want to preserve those market opportunities – and who can blame them? To our knowledge there are already several European consumers/processors who are suggesting that within three years the majority of their purchases will have to be backed by total quality assurance.
It would be a sad day for British agriculture if these markets had to be ignored because we couldnt supply what the customer wanted.
Mike Adams,
President, UKASTA,
3 Whitehall Court, London
The value of people
Your article concerning the survival of arable business (Crops w/e 16 August) should be read by every farmer who grows crops. It should also be read by many farm managers and employees.
Business survival rightly depends on making decisions on every item of expenditure that affects the final figures of profit and net worth. It also depends on the other aspects which are frequently targeted at the bank account.
The sort of message being sent out by the industry to remaining employees, that when times get tough the future involves selling your machinery and getting rid of your staff – is wrong.
Surely after all the years of comfortable profits there are more exciting and responsible solutions that can be provided to ensure that after many years of service people can continue to contribute to our splendid industry and enhance the rural communities within which we all live and work.
Profits are imperative for business survival but without people what value are the businesses?
Edward Darling,
Greys, Royston, Herts