Crackdown on websites selling foreign crops to counter the growing threat of pests and diseases

Websites selling plants from abroad will be monitored more closely to counter the rising threat of invasive pests and diseases, ministers said.

The Government has announced a five-year strategy to protect Britain’s native species and food security.

Measures include expanding the Veterinary and Phytosanitary Authority’s internet trading unit to allow online retailers and social media sites selling potentially risky plant products into the UK to be arrested.

The Government estimates that the UK economy in general benefits from plants and nature to the tune of £15.7 billion a year – but the risks from pests and pathogens cost more than £4 billion a year.

Websites selling plants from abroad will be monitored more closely to counter the rising threat of invasive pests and diseases, ministers said

Nicola Spence, chief plant health officer, said the plan represents a “step change”.

She added: “As global trade in plants and plant products continues to increase, our precious ecosystems, native species and biosecurity are at risk. The resulting threats to our tree landscapes, food security and the global economy are all too real.”

Lord Benyon, Secretary of State for Biosecurity, said: “This groundbreaking strategy sets out how we will protect Britain’s crops, with government, industry and the public working together to address the risks of crop pests and diseases.

“In the face of climate change, addressing these multiple and increasing risks will be critical to maintaining our food security and enabling safe trade amid a challenging economic environment.”

The Government estimates that the UK economy in general benefits from plants and nature to the tune of £15.7 billion a year – but the risks from pests and pathogens cost more than £4 billion a year

Actions under the plan include expanding the Veterinary and Phytosanitary Agency’s e-commerce unit to increase surveillance of online retailers and social media sites trading high-risk plant products and prevent potentially devastating pests and diseases from entering reach the country.

Organizations such as the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), the National Farmers’ Union and the Woodland Trust would join Defra to engage the public and encourage action people could take to protect tree and plant health in the UK.

And there was a new five-year roadmap for the Plant Healthy certification scheme, which would allow nurseries, companies and horticultural charities to gain accreditation for meeting biosecurity standards.

RHS’ Harlow Carr garden in Yorkshire is the first public garden in England to be certified plant healthy in recognition of its work to stop the spread of plant diseases and maintain biosecurity, Defra said.

The Government has announced a five-year strategy to protect Britain’s native species and food security

As part of the public awareness and education work, online plant health resources would be made available for primary schools, such as: B. Izzy The Inspector and investments would be made to further develop the TreeAlert disease reporting tool.

Since Brexit, the number of plants and plant products that are subject to controls that are imported into Great Britain and the number of goods that have to be certified for export to the EU has increased significantly.

The strategy said there would be 70,000 physical inspections of imported plants and trees each year, along with 5,000 inspections at tree nurseries and the measurement of more than 40,000 trees and aerial surveillance for problems that took a while to surface or spread in the wind.

The government will continue to regularly review potential risks, update and adapt the regulatory system over the next five years, and develop a training and exercise program for those who respond to crop diseases or pest infestations.

And the government would invest in the quality, quantity and variety of native trees, seeds and seedlings and explore growth in the UK horticultural sector to boost domestic production, the strategy says.