BCSS - Forum

Pattock wrote: ↑Tue Apr 19, 2022 9:39 pm

Stuart wrote: ↑Tue Apr 19, 2022 8:44 pm They obtained a UK phyto though how anyone inspected mesemb seed is anyone's guess.

Easy to spot any weevils.

I think you forget .... inspections ARE made. We are dealing with professional people here .... and the contracted inspections teams are professional too.

I've had phytos in the past where the inspector has attended a nursery but hadn't actually gone in the greenhouse where the plants were waiting to be inspected. There are times where an inspector knows the quality of the nursery and doesn't bother to check the plants. This is not in the UK.

Stuart

Stuart wrote: ↑Wed Apr 20, 2022 12:02 am I've had phytos in the past where the inspector has attended a nursery but hadn't actually gone in the greenhouse where the plants were waiting to be inspected. There are times where an inspector knows the quality of the nursery and doesn't bother to check the plants. This is not in the UK.

Stuart

Exactly my point. These guys know their patch and the inherent risks. They know their prey too.

The difficulties of importing do indicate that a much beefed up BCSS seed list would be very useful. But that depends of course on sufficient volunteers to count and packet wholesale seed, as well as getting all the permits etc.

The number of non-plant-related packages imported into the UK will be very, very, very, very, very much higher than ones with seeds and/or plants.
I suspect that the inspection teams are actually way under-staffed, so they get through whatever they can in any one shift, and the rest go through without any kind of inspection. I reckon that one in three of my imported packages gets inspected and result in a VAT/duty/admin' fee bill to me.

I have imported plants twice with a phyto - one was opened, one was not. Both were "large", far larger than a large Jiffy bag.

So far as I understand, phyto inspection at a sender's establishment includes the establishment in general as much as anything being shipped - one SA nursery says as much in their T&Cs. And yes, one phyto covers a shipment from any single supplier, no matter how large.

Forget about phyto' etc. for edible plants (fruit and veg'), commercial seeds, animal feed grains and the like. They are covered under seperate regulations.

It is NOT difficult to import anything. It is EASY, very easy in fact. It can be time-consuming and it is certainly more expensive than it has traditionally been. The only exception is where you want to buy something from abroad, from someone who cannot or will not provide what is legally required, in which case, you will need to shop elsewhere (or take the risk).

In many cases foreign companies will no longer ship goods internationally/outside of the EU, as appropriate, as much of the world, including the US, has adopted the same VAT strategy as has the UK. For instance, if you are a Belgian selling motor-cycle spares commercially, to sell anything to a UK citizen, you have to register with UK HMRC, open an "account", keep accounts for £ sales, charge UK VAT on sales to the UK, pay that VAT to UK HMRC and have your books open for UK HMRC to inspect. Who'd bother unless he was selling £1000's-worth of stuff to the UK every week? If the Belgian did not go along with this, assuming a parcel was found, the parcel would be returned.
This is why some sales sites, such as Discogs, for instance, will show lots of greyed-out entries as they will not ship to the UK, assuming you are viewing from the UK. If they will, costs have frequently gone stratospheric compared to 2 years ago.

At least a phyto is simple enough!!

Davey246 wrote: ↑Thu Apr 21, 2022 7:39 pm It is NOT difficult to import anything. It is EASY, very easy in fact. It can be time-consuming and it is certainly more expensive than it has traditionally been. The only exception is where you want to buy something from abroad, from someone who cannot or will not provide what is legally required, in which case, you will need to shop elsewhere (or take the risk).

It is not so easy to work out what one requires for importing if guidance aimed at amateurs is missing - the sense I get from the discussion on here is that there are ways to import which are probably ok, but before shelling out for a phyto plus the cost of plants plus postage plus possibly inspection costs I'd like to be certain that my parcel complies with with the requirements of the authorities.

I like Ralph's idea precisely because BCSS as a society are more likely than individuals to be able to find out how individuals are meant to work this new regime.

Your second point above is worth noting as well. Countries such as the US allow importing small lots of seeds without phyto. What would the risk be to the UK if it made similar allowances?

Just to add to the confusion, once you've got the phyto, submitting it to PEACH has to be done using an old web browser, Internet Explorer. It won't work using current browsers like Chrome or Edge. Another problem is that the Dutch organisation that arranges the inspections will only accept a request from a Dutch registered business. That makes it impossible for a UK gardener to visit a Dutch garden centre and take plants to be inspected for a phyto.
It's going to make it difficult for ELK unless the organisers can arrange for on-site phytos which should be possible.

Stuart

To quote from an old old ditty ............
"It all makes work for the working man to do"

An update from 2 days ago about changes going live from the 30th of April: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/import-plan ... april-2024

So if I'm reading this right there will be no checks or phytosanitary certificate required for seeds of "our plants" coming into GB from the EU. Which just leaves CITES restrictions to worry about which (sticking to seeds rather than plants) affects a relatively small proportion of cacti and succulents.

Growing plants look like they are still going to be a problem - assuming that "plants for planting" in the high risk category includes any plant that could be planed in the ground, either outside or under cover.

Please correct me if I'm wrong!