FPC’s Chief Executive, Nigel Jenney, took to the stage at IFE on Monday (17th March) to voice concerns surrounding the proposed raise in plant health fees, urging the government to pause and conduct a thorough review of plant health fees and the border inspection regime before any increases are introduced.
Jenney stressed that annual fees could soar from around £6.5 million to at least £16 million if the proposals go ahead, with 95% of these costs falling on the fruit, vegetable, and plant sectors.
With the consultation on a proposed increase in plant health fees due to close on Friday, 21 March, the Fresh Produce Consortium (FPC) is leading an urgent call for action to avert potentially crippling costs for the horticultural, agricultural, and fresh produce sectors.
Joined by the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) and the British Potato Trade Association (BPTA), the FPC has sent a joint letter to Baroness Hayman of Ullock, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) with responsibility for biosecurity and borders, and Huw Irranca-Davies MS, Welsh Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs.
The organisations warn that the proposed fee hikes, coupled with existing economic pressures, could have devastating consequences for UK businesses.
While acknowledging the government’s right to recover costs through a full cost recovery model, Jenney underscored that: “the industry is prepared to pay a fair price for a fair service.”
He was, however, critical of the current inspection system, describing the service as: “second-rate.” Jenney highlighted frequent delivery delays and the accompanying extra costs that businesses must shoulder, despite already meeting high food safety standards.
In terms of the Governments failed border strategy Jenney continued: “We’ve offered highly effective and least cost solutions for years. We simply need key control points to be serviced by officials at a time industry needs them not when they wish to arrive often several hours later. In addition, immediate adoption of authorised operator status which allows responsible businesses to conduct their own inspections seamlessly. The procrastination needs to stop now. otherwise the government will be knowingly responsible for empty shelves and increased food inflation.”
