Grain passport: time to go digital?

Derek Carless, AHDB Head of Farm Economics, explains how digital passports could help revolutionise the movement of grain.

The grain passport is an essential part of UK assurance systems. With the need to print and manually fill in multiple paper passports, the process is rooted in a pre-digital era and increasingly out of place in a modern supply chain.

Since 2012, digitising the grain passport has formed the basis of industry-wide discussions, studies, and the subject of a pilot project.

The passport passes through the hands of many people in numerous businesses, so it is important that the system works for everyone. Despite five years of activity, the industry was not ready to adopt a new passport in 2017.

With so much at stake, growers, hauliers, merchants, processors, and assurance bodies did not want the project to lose momentum. AHDB also restated its willingness to independently facilitate the project, as well as fund, develop and own the digital passport. Being independent and levy-funded put AHDB in the best place to lead the work.

There are many reasons why people want a digital passport. Numerous benefits have been identified including:

For everyone

• Elimination of paper passports
• Removal of assurance stickers (via automatic assurance status verification)
• Reduction of issues associated with illegibility or incomplete paper passports
• Delivery of a two-way flow of data from farmer through supply chains, and vice versa
• Provision of load progress status information – from store to intake

Growers

• Removal of the need to print passports and maintain a stock of assurance stickers
• Potential to complete identical passports in one go
• Rapid return of intake weight and quality data (helping growers better match subsequent loads to contracted specifications)

Merchants

• Facility to integrate systems – for example, to provide electronic receipt of mill deliveries and return of weighbridge data directly to in-house software
• Large reduction in paperwork and manual processing

Processors

• Receipt of passport data electronically
• Removal of the need to store paper passports for several years
• Reduction of delays at intake associated with illegible or incomplete passports
• Better supply data (from grower or store, and haulier) before the load arrives

Hauliers

• Removal of delays associated with illegible or incomplete paper passports
• No delay in weight data exchange between supply chain participants (allowing more efficient administration and invoicing)

An industry advisory group has helped to ensure the system is fit for purpose. Chaired by East Yorkshire grower Ian Backhouse, the group comprises representatives from the NFU, NFU Scotland, AIC, UK Flour Millers, Maltsters Association of Great Britain, Seed Crushers & Oil Processors Association and the Road Haulage Association.

How data flows

Prior to delivery

1. The receiver creates a delivery order.
2. The merchant allocates a grain source.*
3. Grain sources (grower or storekeeper, and haulier) are advised on what is required and when it is required.

Day of delivery

1. At the loading point, the driver and grower/storekeeper complete passport declarations (via app).*
2. Intake accesses the passport data (via web portal or integrated system).
3. All intake data is accessible by the receiver, haulier, and grower/storekeeper.

* Automatic assurance status verification occurs at these steps

As data governance was highlighted as an area of concern, AHDB commissioned Agrimetrics to propose recommendations to the industry advisory group representatives. These were unanimously supported and included:

• The establishment of a Data Governance Board to:
  • Be guided by an independent chair and clear terms of reference
  • Set processes and documentation, including the rules and standards for the collection, management, and use of data
  • Oversee data usage and system access
• Take legal advice to create terms and conditions to protect the companies and organisations using the digital passport system
• Build and operate the system to accredited standards of information security and data management, such as ISO 27001

This spring’s Shape the Future results are critical to the future of the project.

Around 3,000 cereals and oilseeds levy payers registered to give their opinions on AHDB investment, including the digital grain passport.

Trade associations, representing all parts of the UK industry, will meet in June to decide whether they support the passport’s roll-out.

If the green light is given, the first system tests will take place in 2023, followed by a phased adoption, and a complete phase-out of the paper system by the end of a three-year transition period.

The sector council for AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds has reserved funds to develop and support the work (if the go-ahead is given).