The Bord Bia Quality Assurance Scheme (BQAS) for beef and lamb has come in for farmer criticism in recent years. In 2010, the introduction of a 6c/kg in-spec bonus for beef carcases, for which membership of the BQAS scheme was one requirement, raised the profile of the scheme. But the subsequent increase of the bonus to 12c/kg made BQAS membership a critical part of the beef price equation.

The financial impact of non-compliance shone an intense light on the demands of the scheme and the on-farm audit procedure. It isn’t that Irish farmers don’t believe in quality. They do, and we have a proven international reputation for delivering a quality product. However, farmers take issue with people, often with little understanding of the complexities of farming, arriving on farm with their clipboard and devaluing their livestock at the stroke of a pen.

This week, we have seen Bord Bia rightly take steps to address this situation. It is not tenable for farmers to have a negative perception of a scheme that is ultimately designed to showcase the high standards to which they produce food.

As Paul Mooney and Amy Forde report,one of the main farmer-facing measures to be introduced under the revised scheme is a close-out period. This will give farmers time to correct any issues identified in the audit – during which period they will retain their QA status. It is a positive development and one that will help alleviate the financial risk associated with failing an audit due to minor discrepancies.

Of course, there will be measures in the new scheme that will cause a level of farmer frustration. The argument will be made that QA doesn’t do anything farmers don’t have to do already to protect their BPS. Strictly speaking that is true, but it misses the point about the value of the BQAS. The most important is that it differentiates Irish as well as Northern Irish and other UK regional schemes from international production that competes purely on price. It is also a core specification requirement of the premium customers so, no matter how good a beef carcase is, if it doesn’t have BQAS, it will not be accepted by the premium UK and increasingly European supermarkets.

It is in the interest of all farmers that the scheme is sufficiently robust to have credibility in the market. In the context of Brexit and the potential for increased competition from South American beef, it is critical that this credibility is not undermined by our competitors for commercial gain.

Nevertheless, this should not distract from the need for Bord Bia to ensure the scheme is designed and implemented in a farmer-friendly way. Auditors should be trained to engage in a way that encourages a collaborative approach with farmers – the IFA is calling for a clear protocol in how audits are conducted.

Along with the close-out period. farmers will now also have access to a helpline. Any advice should be to promote the technical merits of a scheme that will deliver financial and environmental gains.

There is clear evidence to show the link between on-farm technical efficiency and environmental sustainability – whether it be maximising the grazing season, reducing age at calving and/or improved calving rate. In this regard, all stakeholders must be conscious that establishing the baseline information is only step one – step two will be to ensure we can show an ongoing improvement in the sustainability journey.

Meanwhile, in the context of giving farmers more ownership of the scheme, Bord Bia should explore the potential to extend its requirements beyond the farm gate. Traditionally the scheme has placed additional regulations and costs on to the farmer and, to a lesser extent the processor. Why is there no onus on retailers to adhere to additional standards? Retailers arguably benefit the most from the marketing message the consumer associates with the Bord Bia quality assurance logo.

Within our domestic market, retail standards that would see those using the Bord Bia logo prevented from below-cost selling and enforce the correct display of product on the retail shelf, coupled with the introduction of inspections to ensure correct labelling of beef and lamb joints, would improve farmer buy-in. Then we can have a BQAS scheme that is worthy of the quality job that Irish farmers do in producing the best and some of most natural beef in the world.

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