Digital Grain Passport 2022

This is AHDB’s Digital Grain Passport hub, your one-stop shop for finding out what the DGP is, why it is needed, how it could work and, who will be affected. The decision on the passport is not yet made. A full consultation process with industry is underway. Once industry has reached an agreement, the AHDB Sector Council will be provided with their recommendation and combine this with our Shape the Future results to make a decision on whether to spend levy payer money on the DGP. 

What is the Digital Grain Passport? 

The Digital Grain Passport is simply a digital version of the paper passport currently used by growers, hauliers, processors, and merchants. While it might sound like a daunting change at first, switching to digital will mean you will no longer have to keep a stock of paper passports or worry about not having the right stickers. Everything you need will be available at the touch of a button. 

The key proposal is to replace the existing paper passport with a digital solution, providing a two-way data flow for all combinable crop supply chains across the UK. This means – for the first time – there will be a universal system of returning weight and quality data back to growers.

How it could work in practice

Digital Grain Passport in brief

Where has the idea for a digital grain passport come from? 

Discussions between key industry trade associations, including the NFU, AIC and UK Flour Millers, led to AHDB being approached to undertake exploratory work in 2020. The key objectives were to review the work done during the earlier 2012-2017 pilot project and to build on that answering key questions such as how much it would cost to build and implement, and how could it be owned and funded.  

Why are AHDB working on it? 

AHDB’s commercial independence, and its role working on behalf of grower, processor and merchant levy payers across the UK, makes it uniquely placed to coordinate a project with commercial sensitivities like this. We have gathered all the important information here, so everyone – from growers and hauliers to merchants, processors and trade association representatives – can find out what they need to know. Those presenting to others about the proposals will also find resources such as a downloadable PowerPoint presentation to adapt to your audience. 

The benefits at a glance

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 to supply chains, and vice versa  
• Provision of load progress status information – from store to intake  

Growers  

• Removal of 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 own software  
• Large reduction in paperwork and manual processing  

Processors  

• Receipt of passport data electronically   
• Removal of 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)  

Next steps: proposed timeline 

Over summer, levy payers are considering the proposals ahead of a meeting where a decision will be made. If industry decides to go ahead with a digital passport, the key milestones in the transition from paper to digital are outlined below:

Data management and the Digital Grain Passport   

In January 2022 Agrimetrics drafted a proposed data governance framework following consultation with industry. 

Useful resources

FAQs

Frequently asked questions (updated 20 May 2022)

Basic presentation for Cereals Liaison Group to adapt

Download this PowerPoint presentation for communicating about the Digital Grain Passport to your members.

Videos: How the Digital Grain Passport could work, and its benefits for you

Derek Carless brings together the facts in four videos lasting (around) three minutes, one each for growers, hauliers, merchants and processors.

If you still require assistance or have any other questions, please contact Derek Carless / Digital Grain Passport Lead on 07817 257471 or Derek.Carless@ahdb.org.uk