A 'discussion' to move to a digital grain passport system for the cereal sector is taking the next step – two sub-groups have been set up to develop the business case for the change.

The move followed a former proposal for their implementation being knocked back by some of the industry in 2022. The advocates for the digital grain passport still believe it would bring several benefits to the industry, such as real-time assurance checking, more robust feed and food safety traceability and the return to farm of quality and weight data.

The project is being redrafted through consultation with farmers, merchants and hauliers, with the 'business case' at the centre. AHDB is being asked for support and to use its expertise to create two specific sub-groups focused on the development of the system and the data governance.

These groups will create the business case for digital grain passports which, in turn, will be shared with industry.

The leadership group will continue represent the wider industry and will lead the project, chaired by AHDB board member, Stephen Briggs, with Willie Thomson, from NFU Scotland, as its Scottish representative.

The first of the sub-groups will be a development team chaired by George Mason, from Heygates, with the Scottish representatives on this group being Owen Southwood, from Scotgrain, as well as Andrew Moir and Neil White, from NFU Scotland. The group has already looked at developing the business case for a bespoke system.

The second sub-group will investigate who should own the data, how it is used and how third parties may gain access. This is chaired by Matt Culley, from NFU England, with Jack Stevenson, from NFU Scotland, on the committee.

The next step for the cereal sector will be to listen to the business case and feed into a consultation planned for this autumn. Depending on the result of the consultation, a decision will be made whether levy funding should be allocated to the project by AHDB’s Cereals and Oilseeds sector council.