Red Tractor has completed a review of the Farm Standards and there are a number of changes which will come into force on 1st November 2021. Some new standards have been added because of legislation change, such as an amendment to vermin control standards to comply with food safety law, or industry commitments to improving animal welfare (including the wider dairy sector’s pledge to eliminate the routine euthanasia of calves by 2023). Members will be assessed against these new standards from 1st November 2021. Here is a summary of the changes.
Dairy
Documents and Procedures
DP.5 – A new standard has been introduced focusing on a written breeding and management policy to ensure the industry delivers on this commitment to rear all calves with care and to eliminate the euthanasia of calves by 2023. It provides clear audit points that you will need to demonstrate compliance with including:
- Breeding: semen use/breeding management decisions
- Tools used to determine replacement rates etc
- Management: provision of rearing facilities to cover the number of youngstock
- Identified market for breed of calf produced
- Provision/plan for TB breakdown
Staff
PL.1 – (Revised) Systems must be in place to ensure all personnel are effectively trained and deemed competent to carry out the activities they are required to do.
From November 1st all new starters have to have a documented induction covering at least the following:
- An explanation of the tasks they will undertake
- Health & Safety information
- Reporting lines
This needs to be recorded in an Induction Record
PL.5 – Requires all farms with workers to have a written Health & Safety policy, that has to be effectively communicated to relevant workers and that the language and learning style is given due consideration to ensure all workers understand the information.
Given farm fatality figures it is right that Red Tractor checks that Health & Safety policies are in place. It will ensure that all Red Tractor farms have a simple, clearly defined approach to managing Health & Safety.
Milk Production
MP.29 – You must have dedicated and accessible hand and arm washing and drying facilities. It must be located within the dairy or an adjacent room which is also accessible to the tanker driver. There must be a designated sink with hot and cold running water that discharges into a drain or a well-drained floor, and you must provide paper towels or another hygienic method of hand drying including a bin for the paper towels (emptied regularly).
Housing
HF.6.1 – Tethered housing systems are not permitted. In the short-term, derogations will be offered to the small number of members who are tethering their cattle.
Health & Welfare
AH.1 / AH.1.1 – A written Health Plan must be established and implemented. This has been revised to better reflect the requirements that the health plan and the health & performance review are closely linked and are key to driving change within the health plan. Additionally, the Health Plan has to be signed, dated and reviewed annually by your vet.
AH.2 – Records of the health and performance of livestock must be maintained. This has been revised, because of Red Tractor’s commitment to rear all calves with care and eliminate the euthanasia of calves by 2023, the annual collation of calf births/deaths must now be maintained.
AH.3 – The nominated vet / vet practice must visit the farm at least annually and see the livestock.
AH.6 – Livestock must be handled in a way that avoids injury and minimises stress. This has been revised, and electrified backing gates can no longer be used on a Red Tractor dairy farm. A new appendix has been added which explicitly sets out Red Tractor’s expectations as to what is and is not acceptable livestock handling.
Animal Husbandry
HP.1.1 – cauterising paste can only be used on animals less than 1 week of age and the calf must receive analgesia.
The Environment
EC.1 / EC.1.1 – Looking after your organic manure is a key part of looking after the environment. Existing requirements have been strengthened to cover temporary field heaps, effluent from manure heaps and capacity of slurry storage. You will now be required to have an up-to-date documented calculation of your slurry storage requirements. A new standard has been introduced to ensure that nitrogenous fertilisers are stored in a way that minimises the risk of theft.
Fresh Produce
The new Fresh Produce structure consists of 11 core sections covering crop production and management systems (applicable to all). There are a further 5 sections based on operational area (e.g., Harvesting and Storage) which are applicable where relevant. There are two supplementary modules to meet specific assurance needs; a hops module to support a benchmarking arrangement, along with a watercress module, to align with the FSA/FSA Scotland’s recognised good hygiene practice guide.
Risk Assessment
RA.4 – for all crops that can be consumed raw risk assessments must be reviewed at least annually, and that this process is recorded.
RA.6 – Acknowledging that some of the most significant risks for growers are associated with historic and adjacent land or site use, you will already be completing assessments on production sites, Red Tractor has provided better clarity as to what should be included in this risk assessment, including preventative actions and frequent reviews.
All crop production sites (fields and other) need to be risk assessed and have to be reviewed annually.
Documents and Procedures
DP.1 – A new standard has been introduced that requires the farm to present an acceptable and tidy appearance to the public. The external areas around buildings and the farm entrance should be kept clear of rubbish, non-essential equipment and other debris. Scrap metal, scrap machinery, loose wire, seed and fertiliser bags, PPP containers and disused tyres must be well managed.
Personnel
PL.4 – The agreement between labour provider and farm is now defined as a Service Level Agreement and will cover additional requirements to ensure clear allocation of responsibilities between provider and farm.
PL.9 – This standard ensures that there is at least one trained first aider working in the business.
Vermin Control
VC.1.1 – If pest control is managed in-house then the responsible person is required to have received certified training.
VC.5 – The recommendation that precautionary measures are taken where appropriate to discourage pest activity in crops and cropping areas has been upgraded to a full standard.
Integrated Pest Management
IM.5 – A baseline of annual testing for pesticide residues for each crop, regardless of whether testing is by you or by your customer, must be carried out.
IM.6 – Where maximum nitrate levels (for crop) apply for specific commodities (lettuce, spinach, and rocket) to minimise potential chronic exposure risk to consumers, a testing requirement applies to verify growers are working within these parameters.
The Environment
EC.1.2 – Your list of stored PPPs must now be updated monthly.
EC.4.1 – Some additional elements have been added to manage and mitigate the risks when mixing and handling of PPPs and filling the sprayer.
EC.7.3 – All staff applying granular nematicides must have completed ARTIS e-learning.
EC.7.4 – Anyone making recommendations on PPP use must now be on the BASIS register – not just advisers.
EC.8.3 – You are now required to keep records when you introduce biological controls.
EC.10 – You will already be making sure that any manufactured fertilisers, organic manures, and other soil amendments are safe and suitable for use. Red Tractor have made a change to allow some extra flexibility for grazing sheep prior to growing Category 2 crops such as carrots, sweetcorn, and some brassica crops.
EC.13 – The management of crop waste is a key element of managing disease risk and was formerly covered in the Crops Protocols. From November 1st this has been incorporated into the core standards.
Irrigation
IG.1.2 – Where before having evidence of the accreditation for the laboratory used for microbiological testing of water, it is now upgraded to a standard.
Harvesting and Produce Packing and Site Operations
HS.6 / PP.1 – Return-to-work questionnaires completed by workers returning from absence have been strengthened.
HS.12 – Daily start up checks preventative controls have been added to cover personnel and other equipment which may affect food safety.
Storage
ST.5 / ST.6 – The management of PPP’s used as storage treatments have been updated and strengthened to ensure robust controls and reflect changes in practice. This includes the move away from CIPC as an active treatment but with ongoing consideration of legacy contamination risks by identifying stores where CIPC has historically been used.
Protected Cropping
PC.1 – You will need to define entrance controls for admitting workers and visitors to crop production areas.
PC.2 – A requirement has been introduced for risk-based cleaning programmes where there is a product contamination risk with record keeping for the highest risk crops.
Combinable Crops and Sugar Beet
Staff
PL.5 – This new standard requires all farms with workers to have a written Health & Safety policy.
Vermin Control
VC.1 / VC.2 – These standards have been revised to align with the Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use Code of Practice to protect wildlife from exposure and by more explicitly stating that toxic bait must not be used in the grain store while grain is present.
Risk Assessment
RA.1 – this is a new section that is largely made up of current requirements. A documented Crop Contamination Risk Assessment must be included and must take into account all possible sources of contamination at each process stage. Must take into consideration that shooting must not occur over stored grain.
Environment
EC.9 – A small change has been made around the application of manures and fertilisers. From 1st November any biosolids used must be assured under the Biosolid Assurance Scheme.
Crop Storage
ST.2 / ST.3 – The AHDB Safe Storage Guide is the industry standard. As such, members should follow it for crop storage and monitoring guidance.
ST.9 – The requirement to leave livestock buildings for five weeks between cleaning and then using them to store grain has been removed. They must be thoroughly cleaned, power washed and sanitised with a combined food grade detergent/disinfectant and left to dry before use. This must be recorded in your store cleaning record.
ST.19 – More detail has been added on preventing stored grain from being contaminated with treated seed. Products should be securely segregated through a rigid physical barrier or by being kept apart by at least three meters.
Transport
OT.1 – Grain trailer ID must be clearly identifiable and visible. This only applies to off-farm delivery.
Beef and Lamb
Staff
PL1.1 – New personnel must be introduced to the farm and have their tasks fully explained to them. The documented induction should also cover your Health and Safety policy and management reporting lines.
PL.5 – All farms with workers must have a written Health and Safety policy.
Housing
HF.6.1 – Tethering housing systems are no longer allowed. In the short-term Red Tractor will offer derogations to the small number of members who tether their cattle.
Health and Welfare
AH.1 / AH.1.1 – A written Health Plan must be established and implemented. This has been revised to better reflect the requirements that the health plan and the health & performance review are closely linked and are key to driving change within the health plan. Additionally, the Health Plan has to be signed, dated and reviewed annually by your vet.
AH.1.2 – Your Health Plan must now detail how BVD is being managed, e.g., you may be in a national scheme or doing regular testing. This is a recommendation but will become a full standard in October 2022.
AH.3 – Your nominated vet must now visit the farm at least once a year to see the livestock.
AH.6 – Livestock must be handled in a way that avoids injury and minimises stress. Red Tractor has added a new appendix which sets out what is and is not acceptable in livestock handling.
Medicines
AM3.1 – At least one person has done recent (after October 2016) medicine training.
AM.8 – You must provide an annual collation of total antibiotics used on your farm.
Animal Husbandry
HP.1.1 – A recommendation that cauterising paste can only be used on animals less than 1 week of age and it is recommended that the calf must receive analgesia.
Environment
EC.1 – The standard now requires that liquid feed spillages can be contained appropriately
EC.1.1 – Organic manure must be stored properly. The standard has been revised to cover temporary field heaps, effluent from manure heaps and capacity of slurry storage. A documented up-to-date calculation of your slurry storage requirements is now required.
EC.3 – A new standard has been introduced to ensure that nitrogenous fertilisers are stored in a way that minimises the risk of theft.
