The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Call to ban all imports of EU seed potatoes
Seed potato growers have called for a ban on imports of EU seed potatoes into the UK in response to their produce no longer being allowed into Europe.
The Pre Basic Growers Association (PBGA) has written to Defra Secretary of State George Eustice asking that the UK Government bans seed potato imports from the EU by July 1 if reciprocal trading cannot be agreed.
The association comprises more than 40 seed potato growers, mostly in Scotland, who produce the early generations of high-grade seed potatoes, known as pre basic seed.
Their letter comes in response to trade for UK seed tatties to Europe being stopped on January 1 as a result of the Brexit trade agreement not including third-country equivalence for seed potatoes. This is the mechanism whereby the European Commission decides whether a non-eu country’s regulatory, supervisory and enforcement regime is equivalent to its own.
The UK Government applied to the European Commission last month to secure the equivalence status, but the application was rejected.
In his letter to Mr Eustice, PBGA secretary Bill Rennie said the loss of the European market would have serious consequences for many seed potato growers and they could not easily divert the seed to other markets.
“For this reason our association asks Defra to engage with the EU to establish reciprocal trade in seed potatoes or, if that cannot be achieved, to prohibit from July 1 the import of seed potatoes from the EU until a reciprocal trading agreement can be achieved,” said Mr Rennie.
“The association believes that any shortfall in seed that results from a prohibition on EU imports can be offset by UK seed production.”
He added: “Time is of the essence and with planting dates just six weeks away, growers need to know now what the future market requirements will be.”
A Defra spokeswoman said: “We are disappointed with the European Commission’s decision to not progress our case for seed potato equivalence.
“The environment secretary will continue to raise this issue with them and challenge their decision, to ensure this vital trade continues at the earliest opportunity.”