NFUS have opted out of participating in the digital grain passport (DGP) scheme following a meeting of the national combinable crop committee.

The meeting, held at Boortmalt, Buckie, saw representatives from all regional committees present their opinions on proposed involvement in the scheme.

Faced with three options, varying in levels of involvement, the committee has opted to reject appeals from the DGP leadership group to participate in its development and subsequent roll-out.

NFU Scotland combinable crops chair Jack Stevenson said: “The NFU Scotland position remains that we are unsupportive of the digital grain passport proposal as things stand.

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“The current paper system is functioning well for what our farmers need; it is cost effective and simple.

“The DGP leadership group had presented an option to NFUS to continue in an observer role to ensure they have an awareness and understanding of the DGP system as it evolved.

“The combinable crop committee decided that there was to be no further NFUS involvement in the DGP leadership group and the group were free to continue the project without NFUS involvement.”

Cereal growers in the north-east voted unanimously not be involved in the new digital grain passport (DGP) scheme at their regional meeting and instead monitor the rollout phase.

The north-east committee voted 19 to 0 in favour of observation.

North-east combinable crops co-chair Scott Campbell said: “We are not averse to technology when it helps, but at its current stage the DGP process creates more work.”

The committee was reluctant to voice support for the current scheme, given the potential costs that could be incurred by farmers should they choose to be involved within the leadership group.

They suggested that with the increase in estimated costs already stark it could become a ‘money pit’ at a time where farm businesses are already being stretched.

The estimated annual running cost for the digital passport is currently estimated at £396,000.

Over a 10-year period, it is claimed the total running cost of £4m will be outweighed by projected industry-wide savings of £6m.

The long-running saga to bring in DGPs had been criticised for excessive costs and a failure to sell the business case to farmers.

The previous consultation in 2022 saw NFU Scotland challenge the industry proposal. The union continued to question the plans by stating its members remained unsupportive of the introduction of DGPs.

In its consultation response, the union determined ‘that three of the six key criteria, around being fit for purpose, data ownership, and data usage, had been met’.

However, criteria around accessibility, efficiency, and proportionate costs versus benefits had not been met.

Previous attempts to bring in digital grain passports were also pushed back by a number of Scottish growers who were concerned about the complexity of the system and connectivity.