Around 300 Red Tractor members will be transferred to a new certification body, after SAI Global told Red Tractor it will no longer wants to carry out assessments.
Red Tractor said it had been liaising with SAI for some time ‘to ensure they deliver the RT schemes in accordance with our procedures’. SAI has now told the farm assurance body that intends to stop routine assessments by the end of December.
In a communication to stakeholders, Red Tractor said the company was committed to helping members through the transition. SAI said it had contacted all affected members by letter, and in some cases, by phone.
SAI has produced a Q&A on the process, which can be viewed here
Red Tractor said: “We have worked with SAI to agree a process for transferring these members (approx 300) to a new certification body of their choice. SAI are fully committed to supporting their members through this.”
The assurance body is keen that members are free to choose which certification body to transfer membership to. Lloyds Register or NSF have confirmed they are willing and able to take on these new members. “We will monitor the whole process carefully,” Red Tractor said.
SAI will continue to do any inspections due before the end of the year and will also honour any unannounced spot checks that need to be done. Members who fall into this category will not be able to transfer to a new CB until these inspections have been done and all outstanding non-conformances signed off.
Members who are not due an inspection will be asked to identify a new CB to transfer to now. The member will not have to pay anything extra or lose any certification as a result and all members will continue to get the inspections they require.
SAI are managing the direct communications and each member will get a bespoke next steps document so they know what they individually need to do.