The body which oversees Red Tractor farm assurance is offering £35,000 to a new chairman for one day’s work a week.
Assured Food Standards (AFS), which operates the Red Tractor scheme, is on the hunt for a new chairman to replace David Gregory later this year.
Although Scottish combinable crops, pigs, beef and lamb producers have their farm assurance covered by Quality Meat Scotland and Scottish Quality Crops, the farm assurance for many fresh produce, dairy and poultry producers falls to Red Tractor.
The part-time role requires a chairman to work for 50 days per year, equating to a salary of £700 per day. The new chairman will take up post from the end of September for a maximum of two three-year terms.
The job description states: “This role requires an individual who is able to provide outstanding leadership and direction for AFS at a crucial time of change and opportunity for the industry. Candidates must have previous experience and accountability at board/chair level and have good knowledge of the food supply chain, whilst remaining independent of the major stakeholders of AFS.
“Whilst being commercially minded, he/she must also have experience of dealing with government and representative bodies across the food supply chain and bodies representing consumer interests.”
The Red Tractor logo appears on more than £11billion of food products, alerting consumers to the fact the food or drink has been produced on British farms.
Both AHDB chief executive Jane King and NFU England and Wales president Meurig Raymond said it was crucial an experienced person was recruited to the role.
Ms King said: “Red Tractor is both a technical scheme that allows knowledge transfer to British farmers and growers to promote and validate good practice, as well as a logo to effectively communicate those standards to the supply chain and consumers.”
While Mr Raymond said: “Consumers clearly wish to buy British produce of the highest standard and we therefore need someone of equal calibre going forward to further grow and develop Red Tractor as a leading brand, demonstrating British food produced to the highest standards.”