Post-Brexit border checks cause chaos for UK fresh produce importers

Six months after new post-Brexit British-EU border checks promised to ease trade, industry leaders are slamming the government measures as having made no impact, leading to renewed calls to end the chaos.

The UK’s fresh produce sellers and plant growers face significant difficulties importing plants and other items from Europe. These include rising logistics costs, burdensome bureaucracy, damaged goods and delays.

UK fruit and vegetable growers often rely on imports from Europe. Some buy seeds and young plants from the EU that are then grown in the UK to produce food.

Costly and complex

In April, when the then Labour government introduced what was described as “rigorous new border checks” for meat, plants and flowers imported from Europe, many in the F&B industry were uneasy about what was to come. They were particularly fearful of the prospect of rising costs and bureaucracy burdens.

However, the Government insisted that the new border checks would iron out any previous problems, boost biosecurity and prevent the spread of disease between plants.

Despite the new measures being in place for six months, the UK’s fresh produce industry is calling for urgent action to fix issues.

The border checks system is leading to reduced confidence in border processes and tarnishing the reputation of fresh produce businesses, according to the Fresh Produce Consortium (FPC) and the Horticultural Trade Association.

Both organizations have sent a letter to the UK government setting out ten immediate actions for improvement, including removing barriers in the current border control post system that prevent inspectors from carrying out checks after 5 p.m.

The border checks system is leading to reduced confidence in border processes and tarnishing the reputation of fresh produce businesses, per trade associations.They also call for inspections to meet the agreed four-hour service level agreement set by the Government and a review of charges.

Rising costs and delays

Nigel Jenney, CEO of the FPC, believes the UK border strategy imposed by the previous (Conservative) Government is “an overwhelming and ongoing failure” without any immediate sign of improvement.

“We simply need an affordable and effective biosecure border which meets the needs of industry and consumers,” he says. 

“As a sector, we have been proactive for many years, investing in effective self-funded border solutions. However, a dynamic industry which is the bedrock of the nation’s food and well-being has been knowingly compromised by the previous Government.”

“It’s six months since the launch, and nothing has changed. Our highly efficient industry solutions are being knowingly starved of official inspection resources. Therefore, we are being forced to use Sevington, a Government-owned BCP which imposes mandatory unjustifiable costs on every consignment whether inspected or not.”

“On reflection, no commercial operator would be allowed to adopt this approach, and if they did, it would probably be called out as a monopoly.”

Jenny adds that data suggests a commercially managed control point providing a vastly improved service is 90% cheaper than Sevington. Industry and consumers are spending millions on “avoidable costs.”

“It’s essential that the nearly new Government resolves this chaos soon. While it’s a crisis not of their making, it’s their problem to solve, and it’s been three months. Industry can readily solve the problem if given the opportunity. Industry has proven solutions, but we need the Government to agree and implement rapidly.”