EFSIS-FABBL, the industry's own farm assurance specialist, has received a massive response from farmer members to its client questionnaire.  A lucky North Yorkshire farmer gets free inspection for a year after winning the prize draw EFSIS-FABBL ran alongside the questionnaire.

More than 800 of the 2,448 farmers who received the survey responded. “It's far more than you would normally expect for a survey of this type,” saysChris Reading, EFSIS-FABBL General Manager of Agriculture UK.  “We're very grateful to all the members who took the trouble to complete the survey.”

“We know how busy EFSIS-FABBL members are,” he says.  “That so many managed to take the time to complete the survey shows that they are as committed as we are to making sure EFSIS-FABBL goes on providing them with the best service in farm assurance and certification.”

“Because we have had such a good response, we can be sure that the survey results will give us an accurate picture of who our customers are,” he says.  “It will also help us learn what parts of our service are performing to our customers' satisfaction and what we need to do better.”

“Once the full results are available, we will act to make sure any problem areas are dealt with,” he says.  “We will also look closely at what we are doing right, to make sure we play to our strengths.”

The full analysis of the results is being prepared now and is expected to be ready in late May or early June.

The prize draw was won by Alexander Hardwick who farms 1,000 acres of mixed cropping with livestock in partnership with his father at Snainton, 11 miles from Scarborough in North Yorkshire.

“My congratulations go to the Hardwicks,” says Chris Reading.  “The inspection can't be free for everyone, but at EFSIS-FABBL we will go on doing our best to make sure it's great value.”

o EFSIS was founded in 1989 when the Meat and Livestock Commission (MLC) and Campden and Chorleywood Food Research Association (CCFRA) joined forces to create a food inspection company

o EFSIS operates in over 70 countries world wide

o EFSIS operates from 8 offices around Europe, based in the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Spain, Czech Republic, Scandinavia and Hungary, and one office in Thailand covering the Asia Pacific region

o EFSIS is currently inspecting 65 per cent of all food products worldwide, which are subject to a third party certificated supplier evaluation

o EFSIS has a client base of over 5000 food manufacturers and 20,000 farmers, across 17 different sections of the food industry from fresh produce to fish, poultry, dairy and meat