Produce agents are determined to keep up the pressure on the Plant Health and Seed Inspectorate following the heated meeting between Defra officials and industry representatives in Reading last week.
Mike Parr, managing director of Heathrow-based Perishable Movements Ltd (PML), told FPJ that the PHSI this week sent some 100 invoices for documentation checks to PML, when they should have been sent straight to its customers.
Parr claimed this was just one example of how inefficient the PHSI can be.
He said: “Everyone stays quiet about this kind of thing because they are scared or something, but we need to keep the pressure on. They have not got a clue about moving freight in the real world.
“We get 100 arrivals a day and deal with this issue on a daily basis. We can’t stay quiet about this,” he stressed.
Parr is eager to join the board of the Fresh Produce Consortium (FPC) to support the fight on this issue.
FPC chairman Nigel Jenney has contacted Defra about the invoicing errors. He wrote: “It would appear that the invoices have been issued in the name of the agent and not the importer as previously agreed, therefore many invoices are incorrect and will need to be replaced.
“I trust my information is correct and I would be grateful if you could issue a statement clarifying the position and the action you intend taking to resolve this.”
Defra is yet to respond.
The plant health import legislations will be on the agenda at the FPC wholesale and importers’ meeting on March 18, in London.
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