On Thursday, March 6, the Fresh Produce Consortium (FPC) hosted an important session with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to discuss proposed changes to plant health fees.
The meeting aimed to help FPC members understand the financial and operational implications of the fee increases while providing a direct platform for them to raise concerns face-to-face with policymakers.
The event offered a unique opportunity for industry stakeholders to stay ahead of potential changes and ensure their voices are heard.
Attendees included FPC members Tom Brown Wholesale, Morgan Cargo, Jane Adam's Flowers, and PML Seafrigo.
Speaking on behalf of the FPC, Chief Executive Nigel Jenney said, "The planned cost increases are substantial, which raises considerable concern for the industry and consumers.
"The increases are simply unaffordable, especially when it's clear the service consistently fails to offer an efficient and customer-focused service.
"A fundamental concern remains the lack of proactive government challenge to secure widespread performance improvement, yet the costs continue to spiral out of control.
"The expectation is full cost recovery without any consideration of a least total cost approach or any published performance indicators.
"While the consultation closes in a few weeks, the lack of comprehensive information to inform detailed responses is a major concern."
Left to right: Kelly Shields, Nigel Jenney and Nicola Chessum of FPC
"We remain committed to assisting Defra in securing effective solutions urgently. However, it's time for radical change, as the historical approach is unaffordable and simply penalizes responsible companies who diligently follow the rules at an unsustainable cost."
During the session, attendees expressed support for a number of potential solutions to manage costs more effectively. Specifically, the industry advocated for the rapid adoption of control points and an adequate out-of-hours inspection service by officials, which is considered essential prior to the introduction of go-live border inspections later this year, and swift approval of authorised operator status by Ministers, allowing responsible businesses to conduct their own inspections.
The FPC emphasized that effective solutions are already available to "radically change the inspection approach" in ways that can improve biosecurity and significantly reduce costs for both the industry and consumers. Jenney underscored the seriousness of the matter:
"Make no mistake, we are wasting millions annually."
He also called on the government to seize the opportunity presented by proposed civil service improvements: "The government's announcement to improve civil service performance is a perfect opportunity to adopt a new collaborative approach to official inspections."
For more information:
Fresh Produce Consortium
Email: info@freshproduce.org.uk
freshproduce.org.uk