Industry dismay at prolonged delays
PML Seafrigo director Mike Parr says the industry has been let down by a Government that has not prepared for the consequences of Brexit.
THE INTRODUCTION of post-Brexit checks on food, plant and animal produce arriving in Britain was delayed by the Government for the fifth time recently, meaning they will not begin until the end of January next year at the earliest.
The draft Border Target Operating Model (TOM) was due to be progressively implemented by the Government.
PML Seafrigo specialises in logistics and supply chain solution for perishable goods. Director Mike Parr explains: “We keep trying to adapt our business to conform, then the decision is kicked down the road again, again and again. It’s got to the stage where we’ll wait for it to happen before we react any further.
“We spent an absolute fortune on our Kent site to make sure it was ready for Brexit. Customers keep asking the questions, and we can’t give them any answers. It is challenging to say the least.
“This is happening because the UK government is not prepared. The Dutch have looked at it and consulted with the guys on the ground.
“In contrast, the UK government keep hiring highly paid consultants who wouldn’t know one end of a lorry from another. They don’t seem to be engaging with the experts who do this on a day to day basis..”
PML Seafrigo has spent in excess of £7 million on its Kent facility, buying the property and adapting the building to the spec required, It has trained people on plant health inspections, but it is still waiting for the Government to allow it to inspect incoming products.
Mike sees the empowerment of trading agents to carry out inspections as the solution.
“The Government can bring the rules in, and as long as they approve the correct bodies to deal with them, such as freight agents that have the facilities in place, it won’t hurt the economy. You’ll have food on the shelves.
“The way they are going about it, you will have shortages, we are already seeing it. There are shelves empty in supermarkets and that is directly attributable to Brexit, and the fact that the Government isn’t preparing in the right way. They need to listen to freight agents, then we’ll start making progress.”
Mike advises the Government: “Audit them as much as you wish, just get them approved. That way, there will be no delays on the trucks and the flow of traffic will be seamless.”
Mike says the fresh fruit shortages that were acute at the start fo 2023 were not primarily down to adverse weather, but rather excess bureaucracy in the UK.
“A lot of the suppliers from overseas are saying we’re not worth the headache. We have the most stringent rules and regulations with regards to checks and quality, and if you’re a Moroccan farmer and you’re going to get the same money by supplying Germany or Poland, why would you go through the headache of supplying extra documentation, or risk the produce being rejected because it doesn’t meet certain specifications?
“I was talking to a Polish blueberry grower and he is deliberately trying to find ways to avoid sending product to the UK. We’re not helping ourselves. A bit of wonky fruit or veg never hurt anyone. Having lived in North Africa for 15 years, I’d say the wonkier the fruit, the better it tastes! We have a misguided obsession on the appearance of fruit and veg, as long as it tastes right that’s what matters.”
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