Assuring Beef From The Dairy Herd

Dairy members wanting to sell cull cows, calves or beef animals as assured must have a Red Tractor beef certificate and be beef assured. The dairy certificate only covers milk.

As such there are two bandings a member could fall under:

Band B

Dairy member with substantive beef enterprise. This is defined as where the producer is purchasing in cattle for beef production and/ or if the producer is retaining more than 10 animals over six months of age specifically for beef production. This does not include dairy cull cows.

Band C

Pure dairy member. Only selling cull cows or calves and up to 10 beef animals.

The Rules

The additional membership can normally be delivered in a single, integrated assessment by the Certification Body appointed by your Milk Purchaser to deliver the dairy assessment.

However, if you wish to have beef assurance with another Certification Body this is also acceptable, however will result in two separate assessments.

Fees for the additional beef certificate will be agreed between your Milk Purchaser and Certification Body. Options include milk payment deduction, direct debit, or direct invoicing.

In the devolved regions, the default beef assurance scheme will be the relevant regional beef (and lamb) scheme, i.e. FAWL, QMS, NIBL FQAS, whose own payment rates and rules regarding sheep assurance will apply.

Failure to comply with the requirement to have beef assurance in place will mean you are not able to sell any cattle, including calves and cull cows, as assured into the beef supply chain

Dairy members with sheep enterprises

If there is a sheep enterprise on the holding in addition to a substantive additional beef enterprise, then the sheep enterprise must also be assured. If there is a sheep enterprise, but no beef enterprise as such, assurance of the sheep enterprise is optional.