Growers who import plants are being encouraged to consider talking to Defra about becoming a recognised ‘control point’ for plant health inspections, to avoid the potential for delays and biosecurity risks associated with border control posts after the new Border Target Operating Model is introduced this autumn.
Control points are authorised facilities where plants and plant products will be inspected and checked under customs supervision, and in effect replace the point of destination arrangements from the beginning of February next year.
“Many growers are only beginning to realise that if they import plants for nursery production, they are dealing with what are classed as high-risk plants,” said NFU horticulture board chairman Martin Emmett.
“We are hearing a lot of concerns now being raised by growers about biosecurity for plants passing through border control posts that will be handling consignments of a wide range of species from many different origins, amongst other issues related to just-in-time supply chains.”
Operating as a control point involves more onerous requirements than did registering as a place of destination but means single-load consignments could be delivered straight to the nursery for inspection, though consignments in a groupage load may still have to pass through another control point first.
“Growers need to minimise delays and the number of points at which stock could be jeopardised – young tomato plants in the back of a temperature-controlled truck in December, which shouldn’t be opened up for example,” he said.
Mr Emmett argues that the new regime should put more trust in the high levels of biosecurity already inherent in many of the supply chains for greenhouse salads and ornamental crops. He also says it is disproportionate that ornamental plants destined for growing-on on the nursery, or young plants for greenhouse salads production, are judged higher risk, with all consignments needing inspection, than those in supply chains direct to retail, where only 30% will be checked.
Guidance on registering as a control point can be found on Defra’s plant health portal at:
Fruit and vegetables being imported from the EU are to be excluded from the medium-risk category of products, following lobbying by the fresh produce industry. That means they won’t need phytosanitary certificates (required from October under the original proposal) or be subject to border inspections from January 2024. The Fresh Produce Consortium says the change, which is still subject to final review, will save the industry more than £150m in extra costs. However, it remains concerned about the potential impact of the ‘common user charge’ proposed for all consignments arriving through some ports which could add £11m to fresh produce supply chain costs.