Welsh Lamb and Beef Producers Ltd have provided the following update for the FUW:
Welsh Lamb and Beef Producers Ltd have decided to defer all FAWL assessments for a while as they review their options following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic: UKAS regulations enable such deferrals during emergencies. A review of the decision will be made in mid-May. Both UKAS and the Food Standards Agency have approved the decision. In the meantime, WLBP will work with its certification body, QWFC to see what alternatives may be available for farm certification going forward. These include desktop audits when a review of records may be possible remotely, without undertaking farm visits, for example by forwarding photos of records taken by mobile phone. The preferred option though would be for FAWL members to complete their records on WLBP’s website via their Farm Records facility. This would enable a review to be undertaken quickly and easily; the records can be readily updated and would significantly reduce the effort required to maintain them. However, by far the most important part of any farm assessment is a visit to view stock and facilities and those should only take place if they can be undertaken safely with minimal risk to all concerned.
WLBP will present proposals for future assessments by the end of May following more discussions with UKAS, the FSA and agricultural organisations including the FUW.