Trade: Show us grain fiddle proof
2 October 2001
Trade: ‘Show us grain fiddle proof’
By Charles Abel
THE farm supply trade has called on growers to expose merchants and hauliers they think may be breaching trade assurance protocols.
Farmers claims of malpractice must be backed up by proof, says Jim Reed chief executive of the UK Agricultural Supply Trade Association, which administers the Trade Assurance Scheme for Combinable Crops (TASCC).
“There are lots of accusations going around, but unless we have facts they are very difficult to follow up.
“Where we have the facts we will investigate.”
So far just one case has proved justified: a merchant admitting to passing off unassured grain as assured.
“We got them to undertake not to repeat this,” he says.
His comments follow the revelation that the Assured Combinable Crops Scheme has employed an independent investigator to look into assurance fiddle claims.
Growers had maintained that non-assured grain was arriving at assured-only destinations and being passed off as assured.
Mr Reed denies that there is a haulage loophole which allows non-TASCC hauliers to haul assured grain to assured stores.
“Where assured grain is being taken to a user asking for farm assured grain then the haulier must be TASCC-approved.”
To that end 297 companies are now TASCC-approved and a further 150, mostly hauliers, are awaiting approval, he says.
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