‘Key milestone’ for digital passports

• Industry agrees on way forward

• Goal is a more efficient system

• Next steps include funding talks

Digital passports are another step closer for cereal crops after the NFU said its concerns had been addressed.

Due to replicate the existing paper system, the digital passport will enable live assurance checks during grain collection and delivery. Weight and quality data will be passed digitally from recipient to supplier.

Some growers had voiced concern that passports wouldn’t work without a good internet connection. Others were worried about data security and commercial confidentiality. But those concerns have been overcome.

Data transfer

Where there is no internet, data will pass from one device to another via QR codes. This will ensure logistics are not held up – and the system will update automatically once the device picks up data signal again.

Growers with no computer or smartphone – and those who are unfamiliar with using such technology – will be able to telephone a helpdesk which will create and populate a digital passport on their behalf.

A joint statement from the cross-industry leadership group overseeing the digital passport process said NFU agreement was a “key milestone” – with the sector now in agreement and fully aligned on the concept of a digital passport system.

Digital passports aim to achieve greater efficiency, accuracy, and traceability of data throughout the supply chain – while maintaining confidence in the safety of food and feed.

Funding

The leadership group has been seeking a meeting with farm minister Daniel Zeichner to make the case for initial funding. Grant funding could cover build, pilot and implementation costs.

Once the transition has been made to the new system, the AHDB cereals and oilseeds sector council has formally agreed to use levy funds to cover ongoing running costs.

Due diligence is being undertaken on the budget and delivery options.Work is being undertaken to ensure support is in place to enable a smooth transition across the supply chain. Once complete, the business case will be revised and shared with the industry.

The digital passport will initially operate in England and Wales – with an option for Scottish businesses to join voluntarily later. The Ulster Farmers’ Union is keeping a watching brief on the project.

The industry group believes a meeting with Mr Zeichner could take place as soon as this month. It says this would represent another big step on the say to the new system.

New bid to boost UK bean production

An initiative has been launched to boost UK bean production by setting out some definitive best practice guidelines for growers.

The ability of beans to fix their own nitrogen and leaving it in the soil for the following crop is well known to growers, making legumes an important UK break crop.

But the uptake of growing beans has long been curtailed by the perception that they’re unreliable – despite the multiple benefits they provide, says the Processors and Growers Research Organisation.

“The perception is real and impactful,” says PGRO chief executive Roger Vickers – even though numerous studies show that spring beans are no more unreliable than other spring sown crops.”

New study

To put this right, the PGRO is embarking on a study to establish new best practices and recommendations for growing field beans. The goal is to optimise the on-farm yield and quality of beans as an alternative UK-produced protein source.

The project brings together the PGRO, plant breeder NPZ (LSPB), nutrition specialists Yara, and Lincoln University.

It is called Answers – or Alleviating Nutritional Stress for Wider Environmental Rewards in Sustainable UK protein crop production.

Real field-scale trials will be conducted to help create nutrient plans that enhance nodule activity and nitrogen fixation, boost productivity, increase yield stability, enhance protein content and encourage climate resilience.