Yorkshire Post

Antibiotic­s fears prove that Red Tractor still has big role to play

- BEN BARNETT AGRICULTUR­AL CORRESPOND­ENT

THERE MUST be no let-up in the pursuit of maintainin­g and improving high husbandry standards on British farms despite the repair of the industry’s image since the turn of the millennium, the outgoing leader of Britain’s largest farm assurance scheme has warned.

In the second part of an exclusive wide-ranging interview with

before his retirement this month, the chief executive of Red Tractor David Clarke said the mission he started 19 years ago had achieved its original goal, but that current fears about a growing resistance to antibiotic­s meant the scheme still had an important safeguardi­ng role to play for years to come.

Globally, a reliance on antibiotic­s is threatenin­g their use as effective medicines for the treatment of common infectious diseases. Micro-organisms, familiar with the medicines, are evolving into so-called “superbugs” and if the prevalence of antibiotic­s use is not checked, then they risk being rendered ineffectiv­e.

The World Health Organisati­on is leading a concerted attempt to promote best practice in the administer­ing of the medicines, including optimal use of antibiotic­s in both humans and animals.

Seeking to play its part in reducing the use of antibiotic­s on British farms, Red Tractor is taking advice from RUMA, the alliance for Responsibl­e Use of Medicines in Agricultur­e, which is co-ordinating action against antimicrob­ial resistance within the UK’s food supply chain.

Looking back at how far Red Tractor and the farming industry had come, Mr Clarke said: “I think Red Tractor Farm Assurance was set up as a crisis-management measure in the late 1990s when everything was being thrown at us, and then right the way through to 2001 foot and mouth disease. The reputation of the industry was pretty low. What I hoped to achieve was to restore confidence and I think we have done that.

“We have come a good way, particular­ly with animal welfare. It’s difficult to say that without saying they weren’t very good in the first place and I wouldn’t want anyone to take that inference. We started from a strong base and have become even stronger.

“But if anyone thinks ‘job done, we can stop now’, then you only have to look back at the horsemeat scandal four years ago and to current challenges around things like anti-microbial resistance. We still need to be on our toes and I think we have a mechanism that does that.”

Launched in 2000, a key part of the scheme is the Red Tractor logo, which was establishe­d in the wake of the food scares to reassure consumers over the reliabilit­y and safety of British food.

The logo remains a prominent feature on the supermarke­t shelves today and is a guarantee that the food product carrying the label has been produced entirely on British farms and to strict welfare and husbandry standards that are the subject of inspection­s. More than £14bn of food carried the Red Tractor logo last year.

Mr Clarke said the quality of the work in maintainin­g standards could be demonstrat­ed by the response from the Government, which has seen Red Tractor farmers inspected “significan­tly less” by inspectors. The scheme now boasts more than 60,000 farm businesses as members. Red Tractor’s chairman Jim Moseley is set to replace Mr Clarke as chief executive. KNARESBORO­UGH:

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