Mike Parr, CEO of PML Seafrigo in the UK and Ireland, takes stock of the major challenges facing UK fresh produce logistics, from plant health fees to port delays and government U-turns
How big an impact do you expect Defra’s proposed changes to plant health fees to have on fresh produce importers in the UK?
I think it will put a lot of them out of business because it is not viable for them to pay these additional charges. Ultimately it may simply not be possible to import goods anymore.
How have the Safety & Security (S&S) declarations affected hauliers since coming into force at the end of January?
This is, yet again, just another cost and another delay that seems to have become a regular occurrence for anyone working in the sector. The UK has become a country associated with red tape, and hauliers from abroad don’t want to operate here. We have become the country that nobody really wants to supply anymore. I’m hearing it more and more: “Why do we bother with the UK? There’s too much cost.”
What is the latest situation with delays to importing seeds and young plants from the EU?
A recent episode of Countryfile on the BBC focused on this issue in a report on additional border controls post-Brexit. Rob James, technical director at Thanet Earth, drew attention to the sector’s reliance on imported plants and seeds and the concerns regarding breaks in the biosecurity chain at a border control point. This can cause a virus to transfer to a crop with devasting effects.
The protracted delays at the ports on goods such as seeds – which cost more than gold by weight – and the impact of late planting can be disastrous. They can mean that growers fail to meet their contracts to supply retailers.
We are also aware of the damage that can be inflicted on goods when they are unloaded at Sevington and not handled with the care required for these delicate consignments. When food or plants are damaged and reloaded onto a truck, who is held accountable?
The Netherlands is one of the UK’s biggest suppliers of seeds and young plants, but a representative from the Dutch Transport Association (TLN) has commented that the waiting time at the UK border is around four hours and can easily go up to 10-20 hours. The representative of TLN advised that every inspection its members had attended in the second half of last year was delayed. Many transporters have simply stopped driving to the UK.
What preparations are being made by logistics firms and fresh produce suppliers for the introduction of physical checks and fees on medium-risk fruit and vegetables imports from the EU, due to come in on 1 July?
It is impossible to prepare when there are so many government U-turns. The pattern to date is that we spend a load of money preparing, only for the government to change their mind without consultation.
How have you seen fruit and vegetable importers and exporters adapt their trade routes to navigate the delays and added complications in logistics caused by Brexit?
A lot of importers and exporters are travelling via the Hook of Holland to avoid the nightmare at Calais. Many flowers are coming over by boat, steering clear of Dover and travelling from Rotterdam to Immingham.
It is also worth mentioning that there is a growing illegal trade where meat that should be checked at Sevington never arrives at the government’s border control destination 22 miles from Dover. Instead, lorries make illegal drop-offs after leaving Dover. Some of this meat could be illegal or banned goods. The Port of Dover reported that it seized 10 tonnes of illegal meat via spot checks in the first week of 2025, compared with 400kg in the first week of 2023. Similar illegal activity is likely to occur with other fresh produce.
What are your most pressing demands of the Labour government when it comes to supporting the UK’s fresh produce logistics sector?
Listen to us! This government is no different to the previous Conservative government and, if anything, worse. They should listen to key individuals, such as the FPC’s Nigel Jenney, who really know what they are talking about and are making a difference.
Generally speaking, how are fresh produce suppliers and hauliers adapting to all of the upheaval that Brexit and other global shocks have caused to trade?
A lot are just finding different places to trade and identifying different markets, for example East European apples are being sent to India. Many hauliers and fresh produce suppliers have had to close down.
What are the other big challenges for fresh produce logistics firms at the moment?
To name a few: finding staff; the cost of equipment has risen by 30 per cent; rent on premises has increased; rates have increased; and the Mayor of London is intent on expanding the Ultra Low Emission Zone.
Has the logistics industry made any recent progress in encouraging more young people to enter the sector?
One of our biggest problems is trying to recruit. No one wants to enter the industry when all you get is added costs and abuse from customers, even though it is not your fault. Roles within technology are more appealing, but it is hard to get UK customs to accept new technology – unlike in the Netherlands.
