Cattle & Sheep Assurance Scheme Renewal Letters

Cattle & Sheep Assurance Scheme Renewal Letters

Kathryn Kerr, Head of Brands Integrity

I would like to update our members on an important step for those in the Cattle & Sheep Assurance Scheme: the renewal letters will be landing with you in the coming days

Maintaining your membership is crucial to ensure that your livestock can continue to be sold as assured.

The Importance of Both Renewal and Assessment

There are two key elements to being an approved member of the scheme:

• Renewal/Payment: Ensuring that your membership is fully renewed is vital to maintaining your status as an approved member.

• The Assessment: The assessment and certification process is only available to fully approved members who renew their membership annually. It’s therefore important to keep your renewal up to date, as failure to do so will result in losing the approved status of assured animals on your holding.

What to Expect

You’ll receive your renewal letter within the next few days, outlining everything you need to know. The renewal deadline is set for the middle of May allowing plenty of time to complete the process.

If you have any questions or need support with the renewal process, our Certification Body, Food Integrity Assurance (FIA) who manage the schemes on behalf of QMS have a team ready to help guide you through the process and address any concerns that you might have.

How is the subscription fee calculated for the QMS Cattle & Sheep Assurance Scheme

Your subscription fee is based on the stock numbers marketed during the 12 months prior to your last farm assessment, as captured by the FIA Assessor at that time. These numbers are then converted into QMS livestock units (QMS LU) to determine your subscription band.

How long does the process take?

Renewals are sent out in the first week of April, with a payment deadline at the middle of May. While reminders are sent out in the lead up to the deadline, we encourage members to complete their renewal promptly.

How to Get in Touch

If you have any issues or questions about your renewal, please don't hesitate to contact our certification body Food Integrity Assurance (FIA) who will be able to assist you and are contactable on 0131 609 0558.

If you have any queries about the QMS Cattle and Sheep Scheme, or any of the standards, please contact the QMS Brands Integrity Team directly on brandsintegrity@qmscotland.co.uk . You can also visit the QMS website for FAQs: https://qmscotland.co.uk/cattle-and-sheep-renewals-faqs

Thank you for your continued support and dedication to the scheme and the wider industry.