New Post-Brexit Controls: A Thorn For UK Horticulture

London, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Apr, 2024) Yuccas from Spain, rhododendrons from Germany or Dutch hazelnut trees -- flowers and plants arriving at UK ports from the European Union face tougher post-Brexit border checks from Tuesday, meaning delays and extra costs for importers.

At Provender nursery in Swanley, southeast England, production and biosecurity manager Stuart Tickner inspects the leaves of a dwarf prunus to ensure it is not diseased.

A little further on, he joins general manager Richard McKenna to eye photinia and straighten fruitless mulberry trees which have just arrived from Italy.

"We're going to have to pay for the offloading, reloading of the truck," McKenna tells AFP.

"If a truck is delayed... plants get damaged."

An entire damaged shipment risks costing up to £40,000 ($50,000), he says, which "could have huge financial ramifications for the business".

Britain's departure from the European Union has already sprouted issues for the horticulture sector.

"Plants are perceived by the UK government at high risk of importing disease and pests," McKenna explains.

"It has made importing material much harder, much more expensive and already a lot longer in time."