New Brexit checks could jeopardize the future of fruit and flower growers in the UK, posing what the National Farmers' Union (NFU) describes as an "existential threat." The NFU warns that the
upcoming changes to import rules in April, mandating checks for nearly all young plants at the border, may lead to significant delays and damage to plants.
Martin Emmett, Chair of the NFU's horticulture and potatoes board, expressed concerns about the potential impact of border control points on horticultural businesses in the country. Growers fear that these checks could result in long delays, damaged deliveries, and even the destruction of stock, profoundly affecting their businesses.
UK growers heavily rely on the European Union for young plants, particularly those originating in countries like the Netherlands. Plants such as strawberries, raspberries, tomatoes, fruit trees, and nursery plants often begin their life cycle in European countries with better greenhouse conditions.
Previously, imported plants were subject to checks by government inspectors, with priority given based on risk. However, under the new rules effective April 30, the government plans to check 100% of consignments at the new border posts, causing discontent among growers who doubt the posts' capacity to handle the volume of imports.
Various organizations representing fruit and flower growers, including the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA), British Apples and Pears, the British Tomato Growers' Association, and British Berry Growers (BBG), share the NFU's concerns. Growers worry that delays and unfavorable conditions at the new border posts could lead to damage or destruction of crucial plant imports, posing a threat to crops for the upcoming year.
The Border Target Operating Model (BTOM), part of the new post-Brexit border regime, mandates European importers to provide health certificates for "medium and high-risk" animal and plant products. While supportive of the government's biosecurity aims, growers remain unconvinced that the new border posts will effectively achieve these goals.
Growers are calling for the government to allow plants to bypass these posts with "place of destination" checks and adopt a more risk-based approach to reduce the number of checks. Despite these concerns, a spokesperson from the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs emphasized the importance of the new controls in safeguarding the UK against biosecurity threats and ensuring the efficient trade of plants. Photo by Rossographer / The UK/EU border at Belleek / CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia commons.