A group comprising of producers, vets, representatives Britain's National Pig Association and BPEX, a group representing pig levy payers, as well as the chairman and secretariat of the Red Tractor Pigs Scheme met recently for the first time to begin a thorough review of the standards. Red Tractor sets production standards for British farmers.
All Red Tractor sector standards are reviewed, as a matter of course, on a three yearly basis and the results of this group's work will be fed into the main Red Tractor review.
The Pigs Scheme Standards Review Group has been tasked with identifying where standards can be consolidated and where redundant standards and duplication can be removed as part of this process.
The group has been established by the Red Tractor Pig Scheme to make recommendations to the Red Tractor Pig Technical Advisory Committee and Board as to how the scheme could be more efficient and effective while continuing to promote and differentiate its members as professional and responsible pig farmers.
The group has been tasked with reviewing:
All individual standards, guidance and appendices
The concept of core and non-core standards and recommendations
A proportionate, risk-based methodology to assess these differing types of standards
Sanctions for non-compliance with the standards
Mike Sheldon, Red Tractor Pig Scheme chairman, said: "The group has taken on a big task, they will be forensically examining the current standards line by line and testing each and every standard to ensure they are clear in terms of what is required; add value to the producer and stand up to external scrutiny while maintaining integrity and rigour.
"In the light of the recent introduction of welfare outcome measures to the Scheme, it is right that we revisit all the standards to identify whether the new welfare outcome assessments might remove the need for the annual assessment of some existing welfare input standards.
"This is a large project which the Red Tractor Pig Scheme had already started work on and I am delighted we now have invaluable input and knowledge from vets and producers; large, small, indoors and outdoors, to challenge and debate the best shape for the Red Tractor Scheme in the future.
"I am confident the group will help us evolve the Red Tractor Pig Scheme to confirm the value it delivers to the producer, ensure it stands up to external scrutiny and it can be audited in a cost effective and efficient way.
All Red Tractor sector standards are reviewed, as a matter of course, on a three yearly basis and the results of this group's work will be fed into the main Red Tractor review.
The Pigs Scheme Standards Review Group has been tasked with identifying where standards can be consolidated and where redundant standards and duplication can be removed as part of this process.
The group has been established by the Red Tractor Pig Scheme to make recommendations to the Red Tractor Pig Technical Advisory Committee and Board as to how the scheme could be more efficient and effective while continuing to promote and differentiate its members as professional and responsible pig farmers.
The group has been tasked with reviewing:
All individual standards, guidance and appendices
The concept of core and non-core standards and recommendations
A proportionate, risk-based methodology to assess these differing types of standards
Sanctions for non-compliance with the standards
Mike Sheldon, Red Tractor Pig Scheme chairman, said: "The group has taken on a big task, they will be forensically examining the current standards line by line and testing each and every standard to ensure they are clear in terms of what is required; add value to the producer and stand up to external scrutiny while maintaining integrity and rigour.
"In the light of the recent introduction of welfare outcome measures to the Scheme, it is right that we revisit all the standards to identify whether the new welfare outcome assessments might remove the need for the annual assessment of some existing welfare input standards.
"This is a large project which the Red Tractor Pig Scheme had already started work on and I am delighted we now have invaluable input and knowledge from vets and producers; large, small, indoors and outdoors, to challenge and debate the best shape for the Red Tractor Scheme in the future.
"I am confident the group will help us evolve the Red Tractor Pig Scheme to confirm the value it delivers to the producer, ensure it stands up to external scrutiny and it can be audited in a cost effective and efficient way.
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