How Brexit will affect plant buying
Industry leaders talk of added expenses and uncertainty
LOST business and an atmosphere of uncertainty are just two of the early effects of Brexit on horticultural brands, according to two industry insiders.
Rising prices hitting consumer pockets are another danger, as is the potential loss of certain seed varieties due to added costs and admin brought about by new regulations imposed since the UK left the European Union.
An added burden are the phytosanitary certificates and Animal and Plant Health Agency inspections that now have to be carried out on every single order travelling from the UK to another country, even Northern Ireland.
These costs are the reason why AG free seeds are no longer attached to copies heading over the Irish Sea.
Peter McDermott, managing director of YouGarden described the effects of Brexit as ‘awful’.
He said: “If we had gone into this idiocy that has been allowed to happen without taking countermeasures it would cost us £1 million a year.
Smaller businesses will suffer
“Now although we can still trade with customers in Ireland and Northern Ireland there would be a levy of £150 per order shipped to them because of the additional phyto-sanitary certificates and APHA inspections. The people of Northern Ireland have basically been screwed and hung out to dry.”
He added that while large companies that buy and sell thousands of units of a product can balance any added expense by bulk ordering, smaller businesses will be paying more money for less stock.
Peter added: “Smaller businesses will suffer and that doesn’t favour the consumer. We are here at the coalface seeing the results of what has happened while the people who made it happen in Parliament, are just sitting there.”
David Turner of Mr Fothergill’s says that Brexit has left the industry facing a lot of uncertainties, though most amateur gardeners are unlikely to see any changes this season.
We may have to work further ahead
He explained: “I don’t think hobby gardeners will notice any differences this year as we buy stock so far in advance that any changes haven’t affected suppliers so far.”
However, he added that certain longestablished varieties may be at risk of disappearing if suppliers feel that the costs involved in implementing new regulations are too prohibitive.
He added: “How the industry will be affected over time, we just don’t know. It may be that in the future we will have to work that much further in advance to buy stock for each year and that has its own set of difficulties. It is hard to get ahead when the schedule is fixed by the growing seasons.”
There are also fears that bulbs and live plants in transit may be badly affected by border delays, though David said that Mr Fothergill’s is lucky to be ‘pally’ with European suppliers.
He said: “We have a good relationship with growers in Europe and we can lean on that. We don’t have financial backers telling us to drive down European prices, which would only result in the growers telling us to stuff it!”