The deadline is fast approaching for farmers currently assured with LRQA to transfer their Red Tractor membership to another certification body. This follows news from earlier this year that LRQA will be ceasing to provide farm scheme certification for Red Tractor from 31st December 2022. After this date, LRQA will be unable to renew membership or conduct any assessments.
This means Red Tractor members who are currently certified with LRQA will need to transfer their membership to one of two other Red Tractor Certification Bodies: SAI Global or NSF.
SAI Global
“SAI Global is the most established and trusted leading Agri-Retail Assurance Provider, supporting farmers with whole-farm assurance across the UK and Ireland. Membership of farm schemes inspected and certified by SAI Global represents high quality farm and agricultural production, enabling businesses to meet retail requirements, secure new and existing markets, and protect their brand and reputation.” SAI Global provides accredited services for major farm assurance schemes, as well as higher-level schemes such as GLOBALG.A.P and Leaf Marque.
SAI Global are offering a discount for new and transferring members on Red Tractor Combinable Crops and Fresh Produce standards. The offer is valid from 15/08/22 – 31/12/22. Further information is available here: Red Tractor Farm Assurance | Audit & Certification | Intertek SAI Global (saiassurance.co.uk)
NSF
“NSF has provided assurance and certification services to farmers for over 30 years, conducting over 30,000 audits per year. We are one of the largest inspection and certification bodies for Red Tractor in the UK, and it is this expertise that allows us to provide support to our members through every stage of the audit process.” Further information is available using this link: https://www2.nsf.org/uk/red-tractor
Both SAI Global and NSF are independent Certification Bodies who are licenced by Red Tractor to manage their respective farm assurance standards and audits. There are rules and procedures in place to ensure both offer the same standards of service. Therefore, the choice between the two comes down to personal preference. We would recommend exploring their websites, discussing with fellow farmers and speaking with the companies directly to decide which is the best fit for your business. We are also happy to advise on the options available.
Once you have decided, please contact your chosen Certification Body and they will provide instructions on what to do next. The deadline for transferring is 31st December 2022.
For more information, including Frequently Asked Questions, please see the following link JOINT STATEMENT FROM RED TRACTOR AND LRQA (redtractorassurance.org.uk)
If you need any further guidance or advice, please contact the CXCS office and our Farm Assurance team will be more than happy to help.
