There is to be approximately 600 farmers included in a planned Bord Bia pilot programme looking to quality assure grain farmers.
Bord Bia has sought tenders for a trial “combinable crop assurance scheme” that is to span three years.
Grain farmers are to be audited every 18 months under the pilot audit regime, the same timeframe as applies to Bord Bia’s existing farm quality assurance schemes, according to the tender documents.
However, these documents present little detail on what will be audited on farms.
The agency expects that the pilot audit programme will cost a maximum of between €290,000 and €320,000 ex-VAT for the company that secures the tender to run.
Tenders were sought from “suitably experienced and qualified service providers” in the areas of external auditing and administration.
Criteria
Criteria that determine whether the company allocated the tender has been successful include an 80% or higher average satisfaction rating in participating farmer surveys.
Bord Bia told the Irish Farmers Journal earlier this year that it “would like to give greater recognition to Irish grains”, but that “this is not a decision Bord Bia can make on its own”.
“Bord Bia has been working closely with the Cereals Association of Ireland, the Department of Agriculture and other industry stakeholders to agree on the pilot assurance scheme for Irish grain,” the food board said.
“The pilot aims to recognise the sustainability performance of Irish grain and support access to premium food and drink markets.
“Should the pilot tillage scheme become part of the primary producer standard and progress to include grain growers supplying animal feed, then there could be a mechanism to include quality assured grain from Irish growers as a requirement.”
However, Bord Bia added that this inclusion would be dependent on agreement from the beef, lamb and dairy technical advisory committees on which farmer representatives from these sectors sit.
Read more
Tillage farmers to be paid for sustainability in new pilot scheme
Livestock farmers have to decide if they will use Irish grain – Bord Bia
There is to be approximately 600 farmers included in a planned Bord Bia pilot programme looking to quality assure grain farmers.
Bord Bia has sought tenders for a trial “combinable crop assurance scheme” that is to span three years.
Grain farmers are to be audited every 18 months under the pilot audit regime, the same timeframe as applies to Bord Bia’s existing farm quality assurance schemes, according to the tender documents.
However, these documents present little detail on what will be audited on farms.
The agency expects that the pilot audit programme will cost a maximum of between €290,000 and €320,000 ex-VAT for the company that secures the tender to run.
Tenders were sought from “suitably experienced and qualified service providers” in the areas of external auditing and administration.
Criteria
Criteria that determine whether the company allocated the tender has been successful include an 80% or higher average satisfaction rating in participating farmer surveys.
Bord Bia told the Irish Farmers Journal earlier this year that it “would like to give greater recognition to Irish grains”, but that “this is not a decision Bord Bia can make on its own”.
“Bord Bia has been working closely with the Cereals Association of Ireland, the Department of Agriculture and other industry stakeholders to agree on the pilot assurance scheme for Irish grain,” the food board said.
“The pilot aims to recognise the sustainability performance of Irish grain and support access to premium food and drink markets.
“Should the pilot tillage scheme become part of the primary producer standard and progress to include grain growers supplying animal feed, then there could be a mechanism to include quality assured grain from Irish growers as a requirement.”
However, Bord Bia added that this inclusion would be dependent on agreement from the beef, lamb and dairy technical advisory committees on which farmer representatives from these sectors sit.
Read more
Tillage farmers to be paid for sustainability in new pilot scheme
Livestock farmers have to decide if they will use Irish grain – Bord Bia
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