Join our club and reap the benefits!

Who is it for?
The RMIF Farm Business Clubs are for all producers of red meat (beef, sheep or pigs) regardless of their production system (e.g. hill farmers, organic, outdoor pigs etc).
 

What will it do for me?
The Farm Business Clubs help you improve your bottom line.

 

 

The aim of the Farm Business Clubs is to bring together like-minded producers who see that there is a future in farming but realise the need to adapt in order to succeed. Regular meetings are held in local areas and are strictly by farmers for farmers. There is a network of Farm Business Clubs across the country and the numbers are continually rising.

Through benchmarking in the Farm Business Clubs producers can see how their business is performing, physically and financially, against similar farms both locally and nationally and also find out their true cost of production.

The Club network offers the level of communication that has fallen in recent times and allows participants to 'look over the garden fence', but in a confidential way. This way, members find solutions to shared challenges.

The objective of this is to offer producers accurate, confidential and up-to-the-minute analysis of physical and financial performance measures within their red meat enterprise(s). It identifies opportunities and savings, and thus improves long-term sustainability within the business.

What does it involve?
Interested producers can register on the secure RMIF benchmarking Internet site at www.primenumbers.co.uk.  This process ensures that you have a password to access your data, which nobody else can see. You then access an on-line form. When you have finished you 'send the form for review', meaning that the data is checked confidentially and is either accepted or returned to you - this is important as it is in nobody's interest to have minor discrepancies which skew benchmarking comparisons for other users. You can then make as many benchmark comparisons as you like.
 

Who do I compare against?
Initially you would start by benchmarking against your Farm Business Club (typically 5-15 farmer members). The report shows your performance, the minimum and maximum scores and the score of the top 25%. It is also possible to benchmark against all the producers on the system.  You can apply numerous filters so that if, for instance, you are farming 2,000 ft above sea level and your herd are spring calvers or you are a feeder of home mill & mix rations and a 3-week batch farrower, you can make these comparisons.
 

How do I know this isn't a means of lowering the cost of red meat?
Your data is confidential to you, and therefore the information on the system belongs solely to the producer at all times. Data cannot be released to others in the supply chain, and is managed through a secure website designed to ensure protection of your data.

The quality of data I would be comparing against must be suspect
No data gets entered into the benchmarking system without being checked for accuracy. It is essential that we maintain this level of regulation so that we can ensure benchmarking is a valuable activity for all.
 

I'm not good with computers, what happens if I get stuck?
We provide a telephone helpline (01483 224475) and a step-by-step 'User Guide' for all farmers using the system. We can also offer one to one data inputting assistance in some areas.
 

How much does it cost?
It is completely free to become a member of an RMIF Farm Business Club.

How much do I need to spend on computers and other bits and pieces?
You don't have to own a computer to use this service; RMIF can arrange access to a computer. You do not require any specialist software or hardware, and you do not leave any data stored in the memory of the computer that any other user may access.
 

What if the Farm Business Club throws up some issues we just don't know the answers to?
Please e-mail us at info@rmif.org.uk as we may be able to find specialist help.

What happens after that?
Clubs meet throughout the year to continue their discussion and to continuously improve their business. Members find this useful as seasonality highlights different issues. Use benchmarking as the yardstick of your business so that you can measure progress and help plan a long-term future with confidence.