Archive Article: 2000/02/11

11 February 2000

John Jeffrey

John Jeffrey runs two

tenanted farms in

partnership with his father

from Kersknowe, near Kelso

in the Scottish Borders.

Two-thirds of the 730ha

(1800 acres) is arable,

growing seed potatoes, oilseed rape, wheat and

winter and spring barley

WEhave just passed the Scotch Quality Beef and Lamb Assurance farm test and now await visits from Scottish Quality Cereals and Farm Assured Produce.

At a time when we are trying to reduce every conceivable cost it is crazy to have three sets of fees to pay. One farm audit, one fee and, most importantly, one set of stringent standards under one umbrella organisation would make a lot more sense.

I am a great believer in quality assurance but the cynic in me has some nagging doubts. The pig industry is a prime example of producers being led up the assurance garden path. They were ordered to meet stringent animal welfare standards by the government and the supermarkets. Now producers have invested heavily to meet these standards, both parties sold them short.

We are continually encouraged to produce food, at great expense, to the highest hygiene standards otherwise they will not accept it. But then inferior imported produce, either genetically modified, reared in unacceptable conditions, or full of growth hormones, is offered as a cheaper alternative.

The reason, as the supermarkets well know, is that the housewife will invariably buy purely on price. This situation will only get worse with the arrival of Wal-Mart and its Pile it high, sell it low maxim. They have vowed to reduce the cost of food by at least 10% and that will start with the price paid to the producer.

If consumers were offered the choice of two different aisles in the supermarket, one purely organic and premium priced, the other conventionally produced in Britain and sensibly priced, I know which one would be sold out first.

On the farm, dressing seed potatoes is occupying most of our time. However, the market for free varieties is virtually non-existent because of over-supply. Responding to Trevor Horsnells Farmer Focus article (Arable Jan 21), I can supply top quality seed delivered to him whenever he specifies and at no extra cost for crossing the border!

John Jeffrey says he can supply top quality potato seed from his Borders farm to Essex Farmer Focus writer Trevor Horsnell whenever he wants it.