Co-op questions worth of ACCS

By Farmers Weekly staff

ACCS verifiers are paid 60 a visit, including their expenses, so how does UKFQC justify the 95-350 a farm subscription rates? asks Viking Cereals managing director David Balderson.

“On a 300 a year subscription rate, with one inspection every three years, that leaves 840. Where does it all go?”

About half Vikings 400 members are in ACCS. That may reach 60% by harvest as the group advises members to join.

But if harvest 2000 does not make membership worthwhile that advice will change.

“If the scheme does not work, we will withdraw en bloc. I am not prepared to sell members a sham,” he says.

Compounder plans to verify non-ACCS farms individually threaten to undermine the whole scheme, he adds.