Garden Centres Order Early From EU To Beat Brexit Checks

Garden centres and nurseries are stockpiling plants before new Brexit checks are introduced later this month, owing to fears over whether new border posts will be ready to deal with the volume of deliveries.

- Jack Simpson

The Horticultural Trade Association (HTA), which represents garden retailers and growers, said many of its members ha d been increasing orders of plants in recent weeks, to boost stocks before the new checks start on 30 April.

It comes as some suppliers on the continent have announced that they will hold back some orders for up to three weeks after the checks begin because of fears that some border control posts will be overwhelmed.

The government will introduce new physical checks for many plant and animal products coming into the Britain from the EU on 30 April as part of its new border target operating model (B tom). These will be carried out at BCP facilities in places such as Killingholme, Harwich and Sevington , Ashford.