Red Tractor responds to animal welfare inspection proposals

UK farmers, who are part of farm assurance schemes including Red Tractor, could face fewer animal welfare inspections under new Government plans put out for consultation by Defra on 15 June 2011 (Consultation on reforming the GB Animal Welfare Inspection Regime).

Yesterday David Clarke, CEO of Red Tractor Assurance was at Westminster to give evidence to the Environmental, Food and Rural Affairs Committee regarding the proposals.

Under the new arrangements proposed for 2012 Government inspectors from Animal Health will now take into account the assured status of farms. Red Tractor assured farms could see their inspections by Animal Health reduced substantially.

This is good news for Red Tractor Assured farmers who have already demonstrated through the scheme that they follow high standards of good practice. It builds on work by Warwick University published by Defra in 2010[2] which found that farms in the certification schemes had significantly better levels of compliance with the legislation. The report itself concluded that this study justified a new approach in which assured farms are considered lower priority for government inspections. The proposal is also in line with the recommendations from The Defra Task Force on Farming Regulation[3] reported in May 2011.

David Clarke, CEO of Red Tractor Assurance, says: "We welcome these plans and are confident that after the consultation is completed we can work with Animal Health to put the necessary arrangements in place to deliver this benefit for Red Tractor assured farmers.