Red Tractor is modernising its Safe Haven assurance process by introducing a requirement for all Safe Haven members to use our online portal to upload their records. This update reflects our commitment to making assurance simpler, faster, and less disruptive day-to-day farm operations.
With most Safe Haven compliance requirements being record-based, the online portal allows assessors to review documents in advance, focusing on only the essential on-farm checks. This means visits will be quicker, more efficient, and less intrusive, saving farmers valuable time.
The move to the portal marks a significant step in Red Tractor’s ongoing efforts to streamline compliance, modernise assurance, and give farmers greater control over their time.
Benefits for farmers
- Quicker assessments: Documents are reviewed in advance, so assessors spend less time on site.
- Focused time on farm: Assessors can concentrate on the physical aspects of your farm.
- Less disruption: Save valuable time and reduce paperwork stress.
Sam Trevey, Fresh Produce Technical Manager said:
“Growers have been clear that time spent on paperwork during assessments is a real frustration. Moving document checks online ahead of the visit is a practical step that makes the assurance process work better for our members. It allows assessors to spend their time on farm focusing on the more practical elements of the assessment, while giving growers greater flexibility and less disruption.”
Safe, easy, and supported
The portal provides a secure, central place to store documents, allowing farmers to prepare for assessment at a time that best suits their business. For Safe Haven members, where farms are often in remote locations and requirements are primarily records-based, this approach will help to manage logistical constraints while ensuring the assessment process maintains the same high standards.
By making document submission easier and on-farm assessments faster, this is an important step in delivering a modern, efficient assurance system that works for farmers.
For Red Tractor’s six core farming sector standards, using the portal is optional. While using the portal can reduce the on-farm assessment time looking at paperwork in all sectors, it is for members to choose how to provide assessors with the required information.
The Red Tractor Safe Haven scheme is designed to protect the health and quality of seed potatoes grown in the UK by setting out scientifically robust protocols and best-practice standards to minimise the risk of serious diseases such as ring rot, brown rot, Dickeya, and other harmful organisms. Members are required to maintain strict traceability and assurance records, ensure proper cleaning and disinfection of equipment, follow controls on storage and transport, and keep detailed documentation showing that seed potatoes are sourced from disease-free origins and managed in full compliance with Safe Haven standards.