Food groups flag concerns over “costly” post-Brexit EU seed import delays

14 Aug 2024 --- Leading UK vegetable associations have flagged concerns over “significant and costly delays” to seed deliveries from Europe into Great Britain due to lengthy post-Brexit border checks. The news follows similar recent issues raised by a working group representing the industry, which called out the government for a lack of resources at borders.

The British Tomato Growers’ Association (BTGA) says it’s gathering data to help inform discussions with the government after committee members revealed long delays to imports. It adds that supermarkets’ late publication of seasonal programs is compounding this situation.

“The BTGA is now collecting data to help inform our discussions with Defra [the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs] regarding a resolution to this important matter, which, of course, has significant financial implications for growers,” says the association in a statement on its website.

Evidence of EU import issues

Meanwhile, the Cucumber & Pepper Growers’ Association is asking growers to flag any examples of such issues so they can share them with relevant bodies.

“There are ongoing and significant hold-ups to seed deliveries from mainland EU into GB businesses, partly due to post-Brexit border process and additionally caused by statutory pathology testing of seed, which are causing costly crop delays in some cases,” it says.

The group will meet on August 22, 2024, to discuss the topic. The British Tomato Growers’ Association (BTGA) is gathering data to help its discussions with government.

In January, the government began to phase in its new post-Brexit Border Target Operating Model (BTOM), a new approach to security controls for all agri imports at the borders. Industry has criticized these for being bureaucratic and costly, and there are concerns that border check posts are not adequately resourced to handle tasks such as lab checks at scale.

Monitoring UK border controls

The government says it will continue to monitor and review the impact of the new controls, and it is working closely with industry, trade partners and enforcement agencies to minimize disruption and costs to trade while prioritizing biosecurity.

A spokesperson for Defra tells Food Ingredients First: “Protecting UK biosecurity remains one of our key priorities and we are working with Border Control Posts to ensure they operate effectively and with traders to ensure checks are completed efficiently, swiftly and without significant delays.”

“We continue to work with industry on the importation of seeds, taking a pragmatic approach to supporting businesses and food security while looking to improve the UK’s trade and investment relationship with the EU.”

Border controls post-Brexit continue to be a critical industry topic. Last month, the British Ports Association (BPA) said it may seek compensation after investing millions in facilities to accommodate new regulations.

By Sade Laja