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Three out of six key tests set by Scottish farmers met in latest consultation.
NFU Scotland has once again challenged the proposed introduction of digital grain passports (DGP) to accompany grain movements following extensive consultation with its membership. This latest consultation identified that half the key tests set by the Union had been met.
NFU Scotland first challenged the proposed introduction of DGP in November 2022. A consultation on the latest proposals opened in late November 2023 and closed on Friday, 2 February 2024. When assessing the pros and cons of introducing DGP, NFU Scotland set six key criteria to consider:
- Is it accessible?
- Is it efficient?
- Is it fit for purpose? (does scope remain within paper passport requirements)
- Are costs proportionate to benefits?
- Will the data be owned by those who provide it?
- Will the farming sector have a say in how the data is used?
In the latest consultation, NFU Scotland members determined that three of the six key criteria, around being fit for purpose, data ownership and data usage had been met. However, criteria around accessibility, efficiency and proportionate costs versus benefits had not.
In its response to the AHDB’s DGP Leadership group consultation, NFU Scotland said that, broadly, its members remained unsupportive of the introduction of digital grain passports.
Over the past year, NFU Scotland has been part of the leadership, development and data stakeholder groups looking at the business case for implementing a digital passport for combinable crop movements. At the start of the latest consultation NFU Scotland stated that technology was the way ahead for the industry, but that technology had to have a genuine benefit for growers and, in the case of DGP, it needed to satisfy all six key criteria that NFUS originally highlighted.
Chair of NFU Scotland’s Combinable Crops Committee, Willie Thomson, has been involved in the DGP leadership group.
Following submission of NFU Scotland’s response to the latest consultation, Mr Thomson said ‘We welcome engagement with AHDB over digital grain passports. We remain unconvinced that moving to a digital system will be better than a paper system. The Combinable Crops Committee considered that only three of the six key tests had been met. Our members do not feel that this would be a positive move for industry.
Head of Policy Team Gemma Cooper, policy lead on DGP, said: ‘We understand the need to move with the times on data recording and systems in agriculture. However, in this case, our members felt overwhelmingly that the proposals would be difficult to work with in practice. The current paper-based system seems to work well for farmers and merchants because it is simple and cost effective.”
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Contact Bob Carruth on 0131 472 4006