SIR, – AHDB is giving levy payers the impression that they have support throughout the farming industry for electronic grain passports from the likes of farmers, hauliers, grain merchants etc. Nothing could be further from the truth.

There was very little support for this about 10 years ago when it was first mooted and very little has changed. After speaking to many farmers, a lot of have not heard about electronic grain passports plus hauliers and grain merchants say its pointless. So where is the support coming from?

Why change? Even the paper passport should not be required as grain merchants could easily check that your are 'assured', if necessary, for whatever market. After all there are millions of tonnes of grain arriving in the UK every year from across the globe.

The UK is only about 52% self-sufficient in food, so why regulate farmers and growers out of business? If the flour millers want this technology, then they should be arranging it for themselves with their own growers.

The vast majority of merchants already have their own systems in place and well established so that information can be transferred back to farmers and growers without involving a third party, in this case AHDB.

To me and many others, this appears to be a complete waste of levy payers money, reported to cost in the region of £1.6m. Why not put this to an independent vote to levy payers then everyone will have a chance to express their view – after all, that would be the democratic way.

Patrick A Sleigh, NFUS chairman North-east ELU committee and NFUS national vice-chair ELU committee, West Fingask, Oldmeldrum.