Welcome to the Scottish Quality Crops website

Scotland has taken the lead in the development of farm and quality assurance schemes. With several mechanisms now in place Scottish Quality Crops work closely with the farmer to firmly place Scotland's combinable crops at the premium end of the UK and European markets.

Through farm assurance, Scottish combinable crop growers - in association with their trade partners - are responding positively to increasing consumer awareness about modern food production.

With the Food Safety Act 1990 placing an onus on every sector of the food chain, from production through to consumption, SQC has adopted a whole industry approach representing all sectors of the combinable crop growing, wholesaling and processing industries.

 

INVITATION TO TENDER - SQC

 

Scottish Quality Crops (SQC) will shortly be open to tender applications for the future provision of assessment and certification services for the Scottish Quality Crops assurance scheme.

 

Tender applications will be circulated on 09 May with the closing date for applications set for 10 June 2022.

 

The purpose of this is to appoint a third-party Certification Body (CB) contractor, to provide independent assessment and certification services to its assurance programme. The programme provides reassurance to consumers that a crop has been produced under stringent standards of food safety, environmental protection and good farming practice.  The scope of this tender includes all relevant activities related to the assessment and certification of the schemes including assessment of any new and existing assurance scheme members and continuous development of the SQC assurance schemes. 

 

For further information, please email Teresa.dougall@scottishqualitycrops.co.uk

 

SQC URGE MEMBERS TO BOOK AUDITS EARLY

 

With combine season just around the corner, Scottish Quality Crops are urging members to pre book their audit date early and ensure adequate time for the provision of crop passports.    

 

Andrew Moir, SQC Chairman, said “Planning is vital at this time of year and I know how busy things can get.  Changing weather does not help the situation – when it is good, we all want to be out there, getting the work done.  The assessors want to work with our members to make the organising of your audit as simple as possible and understand that part of this is organising a time that best suits.  However, we all need to work with our certification body and assessors – making sure that there is then adequate boots on the ground when and where needed.  And to do this, a certain element of planning is required.  I would urge all members who will need their passports in the next couple of months to contact LRQA as soon as possible and organise a date.”

 

Andrew also said, “We are working closely with LRQA to streamline the process – meaning that you do not need to wait until contacted by an auditor to set your date.  Why not organise it a time that better suits you?  At SQC, we are working hard to communicate this message widely – to allow everyone to work better together.  To book your audit, you can call LRQA direct on 0131 619 2100 or email sqc-ca@lr.org. Or, if you would prefer to speak directly to the audit planners, their contact details are:

• Sean Jackson, Lead Planning Manager, sean.jackson@lrqa.com, 0131 619 2108
• Emma Sully, Agricultural Planning Manager, emma.sully@lrqa.com, 0131 619 2133
• Jess Lawler, Planning Co-ordinator, jess.lawler@lrqa.com, 0131 619 2212

 

SPRAYER OPERATOR DATES 2021-2022

 

Sprayer Operator Dates 2021-2022
DECEMBER				FEBRUARY
				Coupar Angus	02-Feb	38337	38339
Forfar	01-Dec	38290	38291	Dunfermline	03-Feb	38340	38341
Keith	02-Dec	38294	38295	Laurencekirk	04-Feb	38343	38344
Perth	03-Dec	38296	38297	Falkirk	07-Feb	38345	38346
Inverurie	06-Dec	38298	38300	Blackford	08-Feb	38347	38348
Cupar	07-Dec	38302	38303	Banchory	09-Feb	38349	38350
Falkirk	08-Dec	38288	38289	Lanark	10-Feb		38355
Laurencekirk	10-Dec	38304	38307	Arbroath	16-Feb	38356
Coupar Angus	14-Dec	38281	38282	Musselburgh	17-Feb	38357	38358
JANUARY				Inverurie	18-Feb	38359	38360
				Cupar	22-Feb	38361	38362
Cupar	06-Jan	38308	38309	Laurencekirk	23-Feb	38363	38364
Coupar Angus	07-Jan	38310	38311	On-Line	25-Feb	38365	38366
On-Line (Dumfries)	10-Jan		38312	MAY
Ellon	11-Jan	38313	38314	Musselburgh	25-May	38367	38368
Inverurie	12-Jan	38315	38317	Keith	26-May	38369	38370
Musselburgh	13-Jan	38318	38321	Inverurie	27-May	38371	38372
Laurencekirk	14-Jan	38322	38323	Coupar Angus	30-May	38373	38374
Arbroath	17-Jan	38333	38355	Ellon	31-May	38375	38376
Kelso	19-Jan	38324	38325	JUNE
Berwick	20-Jan	38326	38327	Kelso	01-Jun	38377	38378
Rothbury	21-Jan	38328		Cupar	02-Jun	38379	38380
On-Line (Inverness)	24-Jan	38329	38330	Laurencekirk	03-Jun	38381	38382
Cupar	25-Jan	38331	38332	Falkirk	06-Jun	38382

 

Moisture Meter Calibration

Moisture meters must be calibrated as per SQC Standards. This can be undertaken by,

• Receiving a know moisture sample from your merchant or agent
• Sending Moisture Meter to a Moisture meter clinic
• Sending Moisture Meter to the manufacturer for calibration