Q: Why do I have to join?

A: All Assurance schemes are voluntary and the decision to join must be based on the business needs of the individual company.

Q: Why is the assessment not unannounced?

A: There are a number of different standards that need assessed and it is vital that there is someone suitable to accompany the assessor on their visit. If the assessor just turned up then there is a risk that no-one would be available to help.

Q: What happens if the assessor notes a problem on my farm?

A: The assessor will tell you that there is a problem when carrying your assessment. They will inform you of this as soon as the problem is identified. They will also re-iterate it and note the non-compliance on their paperwork at the end of the assessment.

Q: What happens after my assessment has been carried out?

A: The assessor returns their report to the SFQC office where your report will be reviewed and evaluated. If any non-compliances are noted these will be graded according to their severity and you will be advised in writing how to proceed.

Q: Do I have to pass all the standards?

A: No. Some standards are called “should” standards and as such are only advisory in nature. However the vast majority of standards are “must” standards and as such it is mandatory that they are complied with to allow ADF assurance status.

Q: How long do I have to sort out non-compliances?

A: Generally you have 60 days from your assessment to rectify any non-compliances. If they are not sorted after that then you will lose your assurance status.

However if any problem on your farm is raised as a critical non-compliance then you will lose your assurance status immediately. This only happens very rarely and this would occur if there was a problem causing high risk to the hygiene/ safety of your milk or where your animals were considered to be suffering from poor welfare.

Q: What if a non-compliance is raised that will take longer than 60 days to sort out?

A: Occasionally it is recognised that there may be infrastructure related problems to sort which will take longer than the 60 days allowed. The ADF rules make a provision for this where significant construction work is in progress/ planned. The maximum extra extension granted is 60 days. Contact the dairy scheme manager to discuss this further.