The National Farmers' Union (NFU) in the UK has expressed concern over the potential existential threat to the country's fruit and flower growers due to new post-Brexit border checks. These checks, scheduled for introduction in April, could cause extensive delays and damage to nearly all young plants imported into the UK.
Martin Emmett, the NFU's chair of the horticulture and potatoes board, emphasized the potential risk to horticultural businesses. He noted the fear among growers of receiving unusable deliveries due to unnecessary delays, resulting in stock destruction and profound business impacts.
UK growers, who rely heavily on the EU for young plants, are particularly concerned about the potential damage or destruction of crucial plant imports, threatening the upcoming year's crops. This concern is shared by several bodies 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).
The new checks form part of the post-Brexit border regime, known as the Border Target Operating Model (BTOM), which has been delayed five times already. The government claims this strategy is designed to protect the UK against biosecurity threats.
Source: theguardian.com