Border issues post-Brexit are affecting plant imports into Britain as well as Europe

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Garden centres and nurseries in Britain as well as Europe face operational issues because of the new border crossings, which can lead to delay, damages as well as additional expenses for importers of plant materials. It is the Horticultural Trade Association, along with European trade organizations, has released an open letter asking for urgent solutions. It outlines this new process is increasing the cost of imports by more than 25 percentage. Checks introduced in April caused significant delays in the crossing, there are reports of delivery being kept for up to 44 hours. The delays have raised fears regarding the risk of allowing dangerous pests and diseases to be brought into Britain.

The new rules require specific agricultural and animal products imported of in the EU to be examined at borders, which is an alternative to the old procedure of spot inspections at nurseries. This has led to problems with logistics as well as financial pressure for importers. One haulage business having reported waiting times of 93 hours for driver time during the first week of operation, which equates to an additional cost of PS38,000 cost. This has resulted in cases where a majority of factories have collapsed, leading to loss of money and affecting the supply chain.

The letter, which has been endorsed by the major trade organizations, such as VGB and the International Flower Trade Association and VGB It highlights the increasing costs and limitations of the new inspection system especially for small-scale firms. The letter also raises questions about the effectiveness of the inspections at the border crossings as well as the possibility of missing the detection of diseases. The Government has responded by highlighting the importance of the most efficient and thorough inspections that protect biosecurity.

These modifications have inspired the need for a review of the process of border control to deal with the issues faced by trade in horticulture both in Britain as well as Europe and to ensure the safety of the imported plant without imposing unnecessary burdens on companies.

Source: amp.theguardian.com

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