Potato Review

www.potatoreview.com POTATO REVIEW JULY/AUGUST 2020 29 AUDITING Remote farm inspections: What potato growers need to know Fewer people have been coming up the farm drive – including auditors. But what do potato growers need to know to stay assured? P otato growers across the country have been informed that their assurance audits will be live streamed until further notice. All physical assessments were halted in late March, in accordance with government advice on social distancing and non-essential travel. Instead of assessors visiting farms, audits take place using a mobile phone or tablet, including a farm walk and any relevant records. Thousands of streamed audits have already taken place, enabling growers to retain their assurance status throughout the coronavirus pandemic. “Its full measure of success will be the extent of its permanent introduction into supply chain management.” SAI Global Assurance spokesperson However the change has, understandably, been met with apprehension by some UK growers. Concerns surrounding signal strength, technological know-how and data security are top of the list. UK certification body NSF International is reassuring growers that there is no cause for alarm. It says audits have been able, and will continue, to operate with minimal upheaval. Technology for doing this has proved fully reliable and auditors have been fully trained to help producers through assessments. ➜