Selling plants - Plant passports - Inspection

[LM2020]

When I found out about the new plant passport rules for selling plants online a few years ago, I did the Application for Official Registration (which just needs to be done once and is free). I also thought I'd try the plant passports for 1 year so I could keep selling online. Because of covid lockdowns and having very low risk plants that basically don't get the notifiable pests, they never ended up coming to do an inspection. The year passed and I decided to stop selling online and shipping plants because I'm worried I won't sell enough to even cover the inspection costs - I only sell plants grown on my window ledges and in my greenhouse.

I was wondering if there has been any more clarification in the last few years about how the passports and inspection costs apply to individuals selling small amounts. I see lots of private sellers still selling plants with shipping on ebay. Anyone that's gone through registration and inspections to keep selling online and posting plants, was it worth it - how much do your inspections cost?

[LHMBB]

I operate as a business even though I suspect a lot of private sellers probably have a bigger turnover than me. I get charged £123 for a half an hour visit, which is basically to check my paperwork rather than look for pests

[LM2020]

I operate as a business even though I suspect a lot of private sellers probably have a bigger turnover than me. I get charged £123 for a half an hour visit, which is basically to check my paperwork rather than look for pests

Thank you. Yes that was the problem when I consider resuming selling on eBay. I saw private sellers with a lot more plants to sell than I could ever produce. And with having to pay extra eBay business seller fees and APHA inspections I wouldn't be able to sell for as low a price so my plants wouldn't sell anyway as they'll always be able to offer a more competitive price.

[Stuart]

If clear records are kept, the cost of each visit should be limited to the approx £125 figure previously mentioned. The whole system seems to be pointless though as it only applies to distance selling and not direct selling which defeats the whole object of traceability. The extra paperwork isn't too much of a problem.

Stuart

[LM2020]

If clear records are kept, the cost of each visit should be limited to the approx £125 figure previously mentioned. The whole system seems to be pointless though as it only applies to distance selling and not direct selling which defeats the whole object of traceability. The extra paperwork isn't too much of a problem.

Stuart

Thank you. I found the record keeping ok as I did that last time and just kept in on an excel spreadsheet. It's just the inspection cost really as I didn't end up having one last time. I don't know if I could even cover £123 - all the time and work managing ebay listings, packaging and posting to only break even or even be left with a loss. It seems like the systems only designed for big set ups to be selling plants. I'm doing 'face to face' sales as I'm still registered as a plant producer/seller and these don't need the passports but with the more rare, harder to care for succulents I don't know if they'd sell locally. It seems strange that anyone can send plants without a passport as long as they don't charge for the plant because the free plants could be the ones carrying pests and disease.

[Cidermanrolls]

This topic creates a lot of discussion and people appear to be deeply entrenched in their opinions, not all of which can be correct.
Personally, I have used this link https://planthealthportal.defra.gov.uk/ ... -operator/ and, with many years experience of working with UK and European regulatory bodies and interpreting their guidance, I conclude that I do not need to register.
I sell infrequently, perhaps creating eBay listings two or three times a year. My sales do not make a profit when the costs of growing the plants are calculated - they contribute to my costs. I do not have a website, nor a price list. I do not provide a horticultural service, nor do I supply professional operators. When I go through the tick box check list I do not tick any of the boxes.
Based on this profile I do not fit the definition of a professional operator, so I do not need to register.

[el48tel]

I think we have to take on board that DEFRA like many other government agencies is underfunded, under-resourced understaffed and overwhelmed. They can’t do what they need to do .... thoroughly and properly. Consequently it's a token gesture. A paper pushing exercise to keep ministers happy and to keep nagging public away from the doors and to allow the politicians the opportunity to say that "nasty plants and animals and infections are being kept out of the country". In truth lots of unscrupulous traders are trying their luck. Yes containers of stuff are being intercepted but it's then destroyed. It's treatment of symptoms and not the cause. As for policing the likes of any of our events for "illegal" plants ........ forget it.

[LM2020]

This topic creates a lot of discussion and people appear to be deeply entrenched in their opinions, not all of which can be correct.
Personally, I have used this link https://planthealthportal.defra.gov.uk/ ... -operator/ and, with many years experience of working with UK and European regulatory bodies and interpreting their guidance, I conclude that I do not need to register.
I sell infrequently, perhaps creating eBay listings two or three times a year. My sales do not make a profit when the costs of growing the plants are calculated - they contribute to my costs. I do not have a website, nor a price list. I do not provide a horticultural service, nor do I supply professional operators. When I go through the tick box check list I do not tick any of the boxes.
Based on this profile I do not fit the definition of a professional operator, so I do not need to register.

When I looked at the checklist, it concerned me how things could be down the interpretation. Like to be seen as selling plants regularly would you have to sell some each week or once a month or at the start of each season etc. With the price list, I didn't know if this could even include putting the price on an ebay listing. I contacted APHA for advice at the time and did register to be on the safe side. At least that's a one time thing, once you're registered that's it and it's free. But now I am registered, I think that means even if I wanted to sell 1 spare plant on ebay for posting, I'd have to go through passporting because I'm already listed as a 'professional operator'.

[LM2020]

I think we have to take on board that DEFRA like many other government agencies is underfunded, under-resourced understaffed and overwhelmed. They can’t do what they need to do .... thoroughly and properly. Consequently it's a token gesture. A paper pushing exercise to keep ministers happy and to keep nagging public away from the doors and to allow the politicians the opportunity to say that "nasty plants and animals and infections are being kept out of the country". In truth lots of unscrupulous traders are trying their luck. Yes containers of stuff are being intercepted but it's then destroyed. It's treatment of symptoms and not the cause. As for policing the likes of any of our events for "illegal" plants ........ forget it.

I imagine there a quite a few that don't know about the passports too. When I first sold plants online you only needed passports for certain high risk species, none of which I had. I found out by chance the law changed to include all plants when I saw an ebay listing mention them. And when people have asked me if I can post a plant to them because they don't live close enough to come and buy one, I explain I can't because of the passports and they haven't heard of it before I mention it.

[Cactimania]

They are a complete waste of time in my opinion. It was proven a while ago these plant passports had nothing to do with helping to prevent the spread of pests and diseases and everything to do with the government once again getting money off of people every which way they can. I can sell plants from a table in my garden or at a boot sale without one but if they go through the postal system then I need one? That sure makes a lot of sense! My mate in Scotland can come and buy them off me in person but again if I post them to him you again need a plant passport? But apparently if no money has exchanged hands then thats okay, too. Where is the logic? Nobody has, nor ever will be prosecuted for selling plants online without one. There's so many grey areas that even the people who pushed this ridiculous so-called law through didn't know how to respond to peoples questions at the time regarding them, and probably still don't. Also, according to eBay's policy on the sale of plants on their site it's only business sellers who need one. So if you're a private seller, sell away and don't worry about it. It's impossible to police and I've also bought from many online business sellers who have sent plants without them. As I said at the very beginning of this post, they are a complete waste of time.