Assuring beef from the dairy herd

Red Tractor certification requirements

Selling assured beef from a dairy farm

Dairy farmers who wish to sell cull cows, calves, or beef animals as Red Tractor-assured must hold a Red Tractor beef certificate in addition to their dairy certification. The dairy certificate only covers milk production.

Membership categories for dairy farmers selling beef

Dairy members fall into two categories based on their level of beef production:

Band B – dairy farmers with a beef enterprise

• Farmers purchasing cattle for beef production OR
• Farmers retaining more than 10 animals over six months old specifically for beef production

Dairy cull cows are not included in this category

Band C – pure dairy members

• Farmers selling only cull cows, calves, or up to 10 beef animals

Beef assurance rules for dairy members

Integrated assessments:

Your Milk Purchaser’s appointed Certification Body can conduct a single, integrated assessment covering both dairy and beef assurance.

Separate certification body option:

You may choose a different Certification Body for beef assurance, but this will require two separate assessments.

Beef assurance fees

The cost of the additional beef certificate will be agreed upon between your Milk Purchaser and Certification Body. Payment options may include:

• Milk payment deduction
• Direct debit
• Direct invoicing

Regional assurance requirements

In devolved regions, the default beef assurance scheme follows regional regulations:

• FAWL (Wales)
• QMS (Scotland)
• NIBL FQAS (Northern Ireland)

These schemes may have different payment rates and sheep assurance rules.

Why is beef assurance important for dairy farmers?

Failure to obtain beef assurance means you cannot sell any cattle—including calves and cull cows—as assured into the beef supply chain.