Following last week’s revelations surrounding erroneous charging for plant-health checks by Defra, the government department has this week announced that IT funding has now been agreed for an electronic plant-health pre-notification system as part of the plant import regime.

“Defra held a constructive meeting with the Fresh Produce Consortium last week,” a spokeswoman said. “We discussed issues arising out of the current plant import situation with the FPC and they were sympathetic to our problems.

“In agreement with the FPC, we have decided not to institute a manual pre-notification system. The IT funding has also been agreed which should make the system flow more easily when it comes on stream.”

But as yet there is date set for the electronic system to come on stream. The Defra spokeswoman said: “The IT timetable is still being negotiated.”

Nigel Jenney, ceo of the FPC who was at the meeting last week with Defra plant-health officials and members of a joint working group said a speedy resolution and implementation of the pre-notification system is vital.

“This is fundamental to the industry’s effectiveness,” said Jenney. “And to the cost of importation.”

Meanwhile, he advised importers concerned about the issue of erroneous charging for plant-health checks to review their own records that may help them in benchmarking them to Defra’s proposal for refunds. Defra is due to write to importers it believes have been caught up in the problem over the next “six to eight weeks,” Jenney said.

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