Supplier Questionnaire for Wheat Farms/Suppliers

Hello Community,

I am relatively new to QA and can struggle a bit. Just letting you know where I am coming from.

I work for a flour mill. In the years this company has operated there has never been a supplier verification/approval program. All deals/contracts have been handled by the owner of the company who (as a farmer himself) has close personal ties to the farmers who have supplied our company for the past 8 years. This is great but I need verification. 

I am trying to put together a supplier questionnaire for the farms we buy from, however, I am aware that the questions I need to ask, which would apply to a farm, are different than the questions on the questionnaires I receive from our customers. Can anyone point me in a direction for such questions to ask a farm for supplier verification? How to ask them?

Thank you,

KWP

I'm at a vegetable processing facility........so a little bit similar

1.Are days to harvest adhered to (pesticides/fungicides/herbicides) all have a Post Application or Harvest interval that should be adhered too

2. IF manure is spread as a fertilizer, was it properly aged and did it come from human sources (yes that is a thing and legal in most places with some strings attached)

3. do they follow an on farm food safety program?  In Canada it's CanadaGap, I know there is a USA one, but can't remember the name

4. Is the equipment maintained to prevent the spead of pathogens---is it kept clean essentially

If you google on farm food safety that should help you alot

I used the USDA GAP Audit to develop my supplier verification for farmers. I also deal with dry grain and peas so I just tailored the applicable questions to what we do. 

Hi KWP,

In addition to what is written above, you can use the model hereunder to refine your questionnaire:

1. Wheat Farms/Suppliers  --> 2. Your company (Flour Mill) --> 3. Your customers (Requirements)

You take your finished product specification and the customer requirements (and questions) --> Part 3

Than you look at which requirements and questions are fulfilled with all the actions in the processes of your company --> Part 2

There will be some requirements for which you are responsible, however you can't directly act on it in your process. That is the part for your Wheat Farms/Suppliers --> Part 1

In fact: Part 1 = Part 3 - Part 2 

That last part will be your supplier questionnaire. You will need to "translate" some requirements in workable objectives for your suppliers. By working in this way you will be sure you will not forget any of your customer requirements. 

Kind regards,

Gerard Heerkens