SAF Guidance for SOPA Members

There are some special considerations for organic producers completing their SAF, so we have prepared a Guidance Note to assist you.

You can download the Guide here

Remember the SAF year runs from 16 May to 15 May.

If you need to obtain a copy of your Supporting Documents (current valid certificate and Producers Operations Schedule POS) then you should contact your Certification Officer BEFORE the 9th May 2025. Requests made after this date cannot be guaranteed to be satisfied. You should first check your email history for the most recent approval sent to you by your Certification Officer, as you will most likely already have the files. If you have an outstanding SOPA fee or non-compliances, we will not be able to issue you with your certificate until these are resolved.

If you do not yet possess the required Supporting Documentation then you need to say this in the Supporting Documents page in the SAF claim. You should then forward the documents to your local SGRPID office as soon as you obtain them (this may be after the 5th May 2025).

Regarding Whole Farm Plans, your SOPA Crop Management Plan can be used as the Integrated Pest Management Plan, and your SOPA Livestock Plan can be used as the Animal Health Plan. You should insert the date your Plans were last reviewed. If you need to speak to your Certification Officer about your Plans, then the 9th May deadline applies.

‍

The information provided in this Guidance is based on our experience with SGRPID, SAF and organic filing requirements. The SAF rules are governed by SGRPID and it is your responsibility to complete the SAF correctly. If you use an agent to submit your SAF, they should already be aware of the information in this Guidance Note.  SOPA and OF&G (Scotland) accept no responsibility for errors, incomplete, or late SAF submissions or AECS claims.