Crop handling
Six-year eGrain passport project ends in ‘disappointment’
I
ndustry representatives have failed to reach an agreement on the national roll out of an
electronic grain passport – the goal of a six-year project facilitated by the Agriculture and Horticul- ture Development Board. The Cereals Liaison Group met in London to consider wheth- er a nationwide roll out should go ahead based on a costed proposal supplied by AHDB Cereals & Oil- seeds and a review of industry con- sultation responses. AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds
chairman Paul Temple argued that the project was an opportu- nity to bring the existing grain passport system up to date. But stakeholders failed to agree that the projected £2.5m cost over the next fi ve years would be money
well spent. Mr Temple said: “I am disap- pointed that it was not possible to agree a way forward at the meet- ing.”
He added: “The project would
have brought the existing grain passport system up to date, pro- viding a platform to enable two way fl ow of data between grow- ers and processors and a ‘real time’ means of checking assurance sta- tus.”
An eGrain Passport pilot pro- ject involving the milling and malting barley supply chains was carried out by AHDB in 2015. This was followed by a six-month in- dustry consultation in 2016. The national rollout would have been funded from cereal and oilseed levies.
Mr Temple said the Cereals & Oilseeds board had acted as an in- dependent facilitator for the pro- ject following an initial request from the industry to explore the feasibility of an online system in 2012. It had been was willing to fund the roll out subject to collec- tive industry agreement. Part of the reason behind the project being shelved was due to concerns about data feedback to
farmers and how growers’ data might be shared. But the NFU said it remained committed to the concept of electronic grain passports. Even so, an electronic system remains a long way off. Mr Tem- ple said: “Although we have not got that agreement, the industry still has a valid and robust piece of re- search which will remain availa- ble for future use.”
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