The NFU has welcomed new proposals from Defra that would temporarily introduce a flat-rate inspection fee of £27 for all imports of young plants, regardless of their destination.
Currently, imports of young plants destined for nurseries are subject to a 100% inspection level. This is compared to a 5-10% inspection level for the same plants destined for retail. In its response to a Defra consultation on the subject, the NFU highlighted that the change would make this import inspection system fairer for growers.
Currently, for imported young plants destined to be grown on at UK nurseries the inspection fee is around £200, yet for the same plants sent straight to retail, which may be grown on by consumers, the inspection fee around £20. The NFU believes this discrepancy risks retailers sourcing more imports, rather than UK-grown products.
NFU horticulture adviser Christine McDowell said: “Defra’s proposal to introduce a flat rate inspection fee would deliver greater fairness in the inspection regime and would save growers thousands of pounds in fees.
“While it is only proposed as a temporary solution, until a full plant imports risk assessment can be completed, it has the support of growers who welcome what they see as Defra levelling the playing field for UK growers.”
In a separate consultation, the NFU has reiterated to Defra the importance of an inspection regime that is based on data and science around the probability of a pest or disease being found in an imported product. It says, ‘The frequency of risk-targeted plant health import inspection should consider and reflect that production is happen under GB regulatory control, and the long-term relationships between GB growers and GB Plant Health Services.’