Farms benefit from inspection re-organisation
Defra has announced new arrangements that will mean assured farms will be less likely to be selected for routine inspections by government inspectors. The arrangements announced today relate to inspections of livestock holdings by the Animal Health Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) and recognise that farms in the Red Tractor Assurance Scheme already demonstrate that they follow the necessary standards through their membership of the scheme.
Defra consulted on this proposal earlier this year and following this consultation membership of a farm assurance scheme is now included in AHVLA’s so-called "risk model". The arrangements will impact on the inspection programme from 2012 onwards.
David Clarke, CEO of Red Tractor Assurance said,
"This move is good news for our assured members who should benefit from reduced inspections by Animal Health. But it does not mean any slackening of the protection of health and welfare that comes from the regulations; it will simply help to remove unnecessary duplication."
"For assured producers, the reduced inspection burden is proper recognition of the high standards that are maintained by our members. For the Scheme itself, this recognition reinforces the credibility of Red Tractor as a mark of safe, quality food that the public can trust."
"The Task Force report cited a number of examples of ’earned recognition’ that are already in practice with some food safety and environmental regulations and we welcome Defra’s commitment to adding another piece of regulation to the list. At Red Tractor Assurance we have already started to work with Animal Health to put the necessary arrangements in place to deliver this benefit."
The Defra response to the Task Force report also mentions that the Red Tractor scheme continues to work with them and other government departments and agencies to extend ’earned recognition’ as far as possible.
David Clarke added:
"Ideally we would like to see better co-ordination between all government inspection agencies and with all of them using the same approach to ’earned recognition’."
