Scottish Quality Crops (SQC) has announced it is moving from an annual scheme to a product certification model to streamline audits for crop growers.
Audits will take place throughout the year and grain passports will be issued earlier to relieve the pressure of receiving these in time for harvest, the assurance scheme said.
Under the current model, growers must be audited between 1 October and prior to harvest, while successfully completing the certification process in this time to gain assurance. Only at this stage can passports currently be issued.
But with the move to product certification, SQC will provide rolling certification over 12 months meaning that passports can be issued earlier in the season and before harvest starts.
Teresa Dougall, managing director of SQC, explains more: “It will allow assessments to be more evenly spread across the scheme year providing our certification body, FIA, and their assessors with more time to allocate audits and complete the certification process.
"It also brings SQC in line with other assurance schemes, making it easier for joint audits to take place where applicable.”
The new product certification model will start on 1 October 2023 in line with the new scheme year and distribution of membership renewals.
Ms Dougall says there is no need for growers to take any different action to previous years: “The move to product certification will still require all growers to have an annual assessment.
"The biggest change is that audits may take place at a different time of year and will not necessarily be at the same time every year.
"We are pleased to be making this transition which will also add integrity to the SQC scheme by allowing for improved monitoring of production across the full scheme year.”
Buyers can continue to use the member checker to confirm that the grain is from an approved site, SQC explained.
The assurance scheme has also confirmed that they will be working to improve the efficiency of their member checker next year.
