Mike Parr:

This week’s [6 May] parliamentary session with Baroness Hayman, regarding the industry’s questions in relation to the proposed introduction of plant health border checks for fresh produce and plants was incredibly disappointing. It represented yet another painful example of the government’s failure to understand the critical issues that we face – and seemed to turn a blind eye to the imperative for urgent responses to questions that have been raised.

Throughout the meeting it was evident that despite the upcoming 1 July deadline for the commencement of the required checks, those involved in the logistics concerning the transfer of imported fresh produce have not been provided with any further reassurances or clarity ref key concerns that have been raised on numerous occasions, over the last five months.

Amongst the most important topics which we’d hoped would be discussed were the lack of preparedness at Sevington to deal with the checks; the effective creation of a monopoly at the government border control point which operates on a 24-hour working day, whilst only offering checks at remote HMRC / Defra approved border control posts between 9-5 (which is inconsistent with the needs associated with the time sensitive transfer of food and plant produce); the failure to provide a definitive list of fruits and vegetables deemed to be within the Medium Risk A&B categories which will be subject to the checks; the fact that Common User Charge fees for 2025/26 remain unconfirmed and the ongoing “evaluation” of the Approved Operator Status scheme which companies such as PML Seafrigo invested in as far back as 2023.

Despite the industry, under the leadership of FPC’s Chief Executive Nigel Jenney, regularly advising the government regarding the best way forward and providing viable solutions, here we are less than eight weeks away, still in precisely the same position we were in at the end of December, when the original 1^st January deadline was extended. The repeated mentions that the industry is not ready implies that we are not taking on board the recommendations. Far from it, as a sector we’ve been incredibly agile in our feedback on the proposed checks, repeatedly putting forward well thought out options to ensure a smooth and seamless transition. 

It is the government that is not ready. It is the government that will not listen to the people working at the coalface. It will be the government that is the direct cause of the likely catastrophic hike in food prices based on the lack of availability of essential fresh produce goods.

We need customers to join us in making our voice heard. We need the public to rally against the government’s inertia and constant stalling tactics, especially with regard to the rollout of the Approved Operator Status scheme.

Allow the industry to help fix the problems. Time is running out. We need action NOW.

– Mike Parr, PML Seafrigo CEO

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Below is Mike’s full interview with Fred Searle, editor of the Fresh Produce Journal (FPJ).

How big an impact do you expect Defra’s proposed changes to plant health fees to have on fresh produce importers in the UK?

Mike Parr (MP): 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?

MP: 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?

MP: 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?

MP: 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?

MP: 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?

MP: 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?

MP: 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?

MP: 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?

MP: 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.

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Mike Parr:

Last Thursday [6 March 2025] I attended a meeting set up by the Fresh Produce Consortium (FPC) for industry members to discuss with Defra their thoughts on the proposed changes to plant health fees. Specifically, the meeting was designed to enable members to put forward their concerns regarding the impact these changes are likely to have on their business.

Defra’s argument for the increase in fees is that it has been five years since the fees were last refreshed (2019) and this would enable full cost recovery (I.E. the fee increase would cover all the costs associated with the rollout of the scheme including a portion of overhead costs).

The suggested increase is 27 per cent, which represents a significant hike in costs at a time when the industry is already reeling from so many other post-Brexit changes – not least the Common User Charge and monies spent to adapt systems and train staff to manage the required new protocols.

Whilst delegates requested evidence of Defra’s efficiencies to make this increase more palatable, the government line at this point was that limited data is currently available, but information would be released in the near-future.

That would be fine were it not for the fact that the consultation period ends in two weeks’ time, so how is it possible to make an informed response if the data is not forthcoming ahead of the consultation deadline?

This means effectively we are commenting on a matter blind, without the critical facts to hand. Is this really the government’s idea of “working with industry stakeholders”?

In the context of this discussion, a primary point for debate was also an update on the physical and ID inspection fees for European and Rest of World imported goods and how these would be handled.

In a room that was largely filled with importers, it was gratifying to see a unanimous vote in favour of the Approved Operator Scheme (AOS) as the most viable solution to the new required border control checks, which allows eligible trained traders to carry out their own physical and identify checks. Given the fact the PML Seafrigo invested in this training as far back as 2023, this would be welcome news.

The pilot for this initiative was due to run from June to December 2024, with post pilot evaluation scheduled between December 2024 and February 2025. Yet, during this time, PML Seafrigo has been unable to provide the service associated with Approved Operator status.

Early adopters of the scheme such as PML Seafrigo will have waited for over two years post training for the scheme to be rolled out which seems an excessively long period, given the evaluation of the pilot is only allocated three months?

Whilst the room voted a resounding yes to the AOS, the final decision will of course be with the ministerial team. Let’s just hope that this time around they do actually listen to those working at the coalface and that this is not yet another example of the government simply paying lip service.

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PML Seafrigo is thrilled to reveal that it has been selected again as the special Industry Partner and main sponsor for the world-renowned ICDA event. 

Taking place this summer at Bingley Hall, Staffordshire County Showground, ICDA is the world’s biggest platform to champion world-class producers of cheese and dairy products. The awards attracts over 5,500 entries every year. 

The team at PML Seafrigo is honoured to play an integral role once again in delivering many of the precious cheese entries from around the world via its seamless, secure, and speedy global logistics network.

Already, the cheese specialists at PML Seafrigo are preparing to bring numerous cheese entries safely and efficiently to Staffordshire in June. They are dedicated to ensuring these cheese entries arrive on time, intact, and at the right temperature ahead of their all-important judging.

The cheese logistics expert

PML Seafrigo enjoys a solid reputation as the relied-upon expert in cheese logistics. As part of the Seafrigo group, the company proudly provides specialist chilled transportation for every type of cheese by air, road, or ocean (FCL/LCL) anywhere in the world. 

This asset-heavy network enables complete control from origin to destination and, crucially, an unbroken cool chain all the way from the producer to the counter. This allows cheese suppliers, importers, and retailers extended product shelf-life, quality, and customer satisfaction.

PML Seafrigo also offers a long list of excellent services that add value to cheese deliveries; from storage, packing, and labelling, to quality control, and documentation management.

PML Seafrigo will sponsor and exhibit at ICDA 2025.

Due to popular demand, this year the event is extended to two days, and will unite cheese processors, suppliers, manufacturers, logistics providers, and industry leaders for two days of insight, opportunity, and business growth.

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PML Seafrigo is preparing its inaugural participation as an exhibitor at IFE – one of the largest food and drink events in the UK – on 17-19 March.

The three-day fair is expected to unite 1,500 global food and drink supply chain exhibitors and 30,000 decision makers under one roof at ExCel London.

Fresh Produce Section – Stand 3750

PML Seafrigo will exhibit on Stand 3750 in the Fresh Produce Section, hosted in partnership with the Fresh Produce Consortium (FPC).

FPC’s Fresh Produce Hub successfully launched last year as a dedicated exhibition area to showcase the best the UK fresh produce industry has to offer, from its premium products to its world-class supply chain partners. There are 15 sections at IFE 2025 in total.

Building connections

PML Seafrigo will use the special opportunity of IFE 2025 to highlight the company’s longstanding position as the UK’s first choice logistics operator for exporting and importing fresh fruits and vegetables.

The team is looking forward to connecting face-to-face with customers new and old from across the international food and drink industry. The aim is to strengthen existing relationships and embark on new business opportunities within global perishable logistics. 

Likewise, PML Seafrigo is eager to expand its knowledge of this global F&B market to reinforce its expertise and position of leadership in the transportation of temperature-controlled goods into and out of the UK.

Organisers anticipate 30,000 visitors from over 100 countries to attend the trade fair in mid-March.

IFE 2025 features five co-located events IFE Manufacturing, IFE, The Pub Show, HRC, and International Salon Culinaire.

IFE is part of Food, Drink & Hospitality Week.

The post PML Seafrigo books first-ever stand at IFE appeared first on PML.

We were delighted to welcome BBC Countryfile presenter and journalist Joe Crowley to our UK Inland Border Hub in Kent to discuss the £200 million impact that BTOM could have on farmers and our food for the TV programme’s 2 February 2025 episode.

After less than a year since the UK’s additional border checks came into force following the UK’s exit from the EU, the system has been billed as “not fit for purpose”. 

On many occasions PML Seafrigo CEO Mike Parr has voiced his opinion and concerns to the media and government, particularly the UK’s ability to remain an attractive market for EU suppliers.

To help shed light on the situation, Mike and Joe were joined at PML Seafrigo’s Kent hub by Nigel Jenney, CEO of Fresh Produce Consortium (FPC), and John Davidson, Finance Director at Tom Brown Wholesale Florist.

Together they discussed one of the largest concerns – the significant financial impact on businesses of CUC fees, added to the cost of delays and damage to goods – and the resulting impact on fresh produce availability and prices in the UK.

Countryfile also visited the Port of Harwich and the Port of Dover to investigate the journey and inspection of goods entering the UK via the government’s inland inspection facility at Sevington.

Watch the episode – titled Welney Wetland Centre, 2 February 2025 – on BBC iPlayer here.

Fast-forward 20 minutes into the episode for the segment about UK border controls.

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Mike is proud to be an active voice for the UK perishable logistics sector. His most recent opinion piece has been well received by the media. Thank you to FPJ (Fresh Produce Journal) for publishing this important commentary, and to FPC FreshTalk Daily for also reporting on these concerns, as well as Dairy Industries International.

PML Seafrigo CEO Mike Parr 

The UK logistics sector has been hit hard by the added cost, complexity and uncertainty of trading since Brexit. And the government continues to make life difficult. The Safety & Security (S&S) declarations due to come into force at the end of January will affect hauliers handling imported goods if they are not suitably prepared.

To be fully compliant, regulated products coming into the UK must have the correct Phytosanitary or Health (Sanitary) documentation raised by the exporter, and the documentation needs to be sent to the importer or their intermediary prior to the shipment’s arrival in the UK.

Such goods must be pre-notified on the Import of Products, Animals, Food and Feed System (IPAFFS) and documents need to be sent to the importer or their intermediary prior to the shipment’s arrival in Britain. If selected for a physical examination, then goods need to be presented to an Inland Border Facility or a Control Point, as selected in IPAFFS.

As has been widely debated, this is likely to cause severe disruption to the importer, the retailer and ultimately the consumer. PML Seafrigo has raised the question with customs of why the S&S declarations cannot be consolidated within the pre-lodged import declarations, which hauliers are already expected to submit. To date, we’ve received no response to this logical suggestion.

Looking at the S&S declarations from the exporter’s perspective, we are aware that phytosanitary certificates (PCs) can take anything up to five days to raise, dependent on the availability of an Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) official.

For certain crops, such as berries, this five-day window is inconsistent with the exporter being able to assess whether or not the product is ready for export on that specific date. We know that countries such as The Netherlands have embraced technology to overcome these issues, allowing the producer to send a video to the Defra equivalent. If there is no response within two hours, this is interpreted as immediate approval. Why can the same approach not be adopted in the UK?

The voluntary Plant Health Exports Audited Trader Scheme (PHEATS) enabled authorised persons to perform certain phytosanitary actions and carry out their own inspections, thereby raising PCs in house post-inspection by staff who have been trained by Defra.

The scheme was launched as a pilot, but at this juncture there is no firm indication of it being rolled out to exporters or their agents. In addition, the cost of entry to the scheme in terms of both hours and fees is cost-prohibitive to some growers, impacting on their ability to profit from the valuable export market.

Add to the above the regular government U-turns, which I’ve vocalised on numerous occasions, and you have the perfect storm. Not only are these frustrating, they also represent a considerable waste of time as forwarders and businesses dedicate costly resource to ensuring they remain up to date with the latest import and export protocols.

I commented last year that hauliers are already showing a resistance to transporting goods to the UK due to the increased checks and associated disruption. The net result will be less fruit and vegetables on the shelves and higher prices, caused by less hauliers moving goods, the reduced shelf life and even destruction of consignments following delays, and more producers simply being unable to deal with the rising costs associated with exporting to the UK.

Without wishing to sound like a broken record, this is once again an example of the government failing to pay heed to those working at the coalface. 

2025 is destined to be a very challenging year for all those involved in the perishable food supply chain.

– Mike Parr, PML Seafrigo CEO

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The renowned event, which enjoys a heritage in excess of 125 years, champions world-class producers of cheese and dairy produce, and attracts the attention of UK retailers as well as international buyers. It is widely recognised as a global platform for excellence, and designed to showcase the category’s best-in-class products from both UK and overseas competitors.

PML Seafrigo, which has an established reputation for the seamless transfer of temperature-sensitive consignments, will be responsible for supporting international producers by handling the movement of their precious cheese entries into the UK. As an acknowledged leading player in perishable goods logistics, cheeses handled by PML Seafrigo are literally in the safest hands. The combined industry experience of PML and Seafrigo is approaching 70 years, underpinning the company’s unparalleled knowledge and understanding of the challenges associated with working in this specialist sector.

Commenting on the partnership, director of the ICDA, Debbie Stewart says: “We are thrilled to be working with such a highly-regarded industry player, and it is fitting that at an event which celebrates the pinnacle of professional cheesemaking, we are joining forces with the internationally-acclaimed specialist responsible for the safe and efficient inward and outward transfer of cheese and other perishable goods”.

ICDA Chairman Ian Luxton, who is General Manager of Belton Farm, comments: “We are delighted that PML Seafrigo has become a Key Sponsor of one of the world’s oldest cheese and dairy awards, now 127 years old, and that the business is supporting the movement of competitive entries from across the world, using their considerable expertise in global freight movement”.

Exhibition Area – Stand 1317

In addition to lending its professional services to the awards, PML Seafrigo will also exhibit in the ICDA’s Producer Area on Stand 1317 to shine a light on the company’s UK and international operations, and to raise awareness of its commitment to ‘owning every step’ of the supply chain journey from country of origin producer to the retailer.

All visitors to the ICDA are welcome to visit the PML Seafrigo team on Stand 1317 to discuss how the perishable expert can add value to any cheese producer/exporter/importer’s logistics.

Industry Meeting

On Thursday 27 June at 10am, the PML Seafrigo stand will host an important industry meeting to discuss the future of importing/exporting cheese internationally.

All visitors are invited to join us for coffee, tea, and pastries, while we pave the way forward for excellence in cheese logistics.

Following the meeting there will be a chance to network with fellow cheese professionals.

The post PML Seafrigo partners with International Cheese & Dairy Awards 2024 appeared first on PML.

The logistics sector is once again reeling following the unexpected announcement on Wednesday (24 January 2024) that a broad range of European fruit and vegetables is to be recategorised from low risk to medium risk – thus necessitating physical inspections at UK border posts.

The news marks yet another U-turn by the UK government which will have a profound impact on those operating in the transfer of perishable fruit and vegetables from Europe into the UK and ultimately, on the availability of fresh produce on the supermarket shelves. We’ve already endured so much chaos at the behest of officials who seem to be either oblivious or simply don’t care regarding the ramifications of their erratic decision making.

In July 2022, I spoke out following the decision to defer the planned checks on European plant and animal produce and sympathised with the news that British ports were contemplating taking legal action after investing heavily in post Brexit border control facilities. Facilities that were then not required when the timelines were changed.

Since then, the proposed physical checks on fresh food and plants coming into the UK has been constantly delayed. The sector responsible for the transfer of perishable goods has been admirably represented by the Fresh Produce Consortium who has worked tirelessly to put forward the industry’s concerns and at the back end of last year, we all thought that finally, we knew where we stood and could plan our business activities accordingly.

Now once again the goal posts have been changed and the industry is in turmoil.

We have not been privy to the risk assessments that have led to those in power to decree that certain fruit and vegetables now represent a medium risk and must therefore be inspected, so remain baffled as to why there has been a complete retraction of all that has been previously debated and agreed.

We are still waiting to understand whether commercial border control points, such as that operated by PML Seafrigo at its Kent logistics and transport hub, will be approved to conduct these inspections.

We do not know if the proposed Authorised Operator Status (AOS) programme – which was designed to enable those with a designated Border Control Post to undertake the appropriate training to perform the planned physical and identity import checks – is going to be rolled out. Our staff were trained 10 months ago.

We remain in the dark as to whether or not the new Border Control Post Common User Charge is applicable to commercial Border Control Posts.

What we do know is that this latest directive will signal major disruption in the supply of fresh fruit and vegetables to the UK. Prices will inevitably be driven up as more European producers take the decision to boycott the UK market due to the unacceptable costs and frankly, pure hassle, associated with exporting to Britain.

We also know that the facility at Sevington is simply not equipped to cope and the resulting queues for drivers trying to access the government Border Control Post will cripple the transport network. And of course, result in perishable goods sitting in transit for lengthy periods which will have a detrimental impact on shelf life.

Furthermore, if the government goes ahead with this system, Sevington is unable to provide the necessary temperature-controlled warehousing facilities or sufficient staff to enable the removal of certain items from a groupage consignment, which means that a whole consignment would be condemned rather than individual items.

The UK is becoming a laughing stock and many producers are simply not interested in working within its ever-changing logistics landscape. And at a time when the whole nation is being encouraged to engage in a healthier lifestyle which includes eating more fresh fruit and vegetables – in part to ease the burden on the NHS – these very items are likely to become less available and more expensive.

PML Seafrigo is prepared and ready for the new inspection regime and we have the capability to offload problematic shipments at our Kent Border Control Post. But we – like others – can only be effective if our questions are answered and if decisions taken are adhered to.

To say we are frustrated is an understatement.

– Mike Parr, PML Seafrigo Director

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The global logistics and supply chain specialist’s LCL service to New York, enables the successful transfer of the best of British artisan foods to the States in just 11 days, with specialist cheeses proving particularly popular with America’s retailers.

PML Seafrigo is currently running the LCL offering on a monthly basis with the last pre-Christmas consignment already having left the UK. In addition to LCL, PML Seafrigo provides a FCL (Full Container Load) route, with one of the top five multiples shipping a container of cheese every week via this route.

Commenting on the success of the London to New York line, PML Seafrigo’s Director of Ocean and Road, Ian Shuttlewood says: “We’re delighted with the uptake amongst specialist food producers who have been quick to recognise the benefits of this highly cost-effective freight solution to the US (customers only pay for the space they use in the container).”

Shuttlewood continues: “Cheese has definitely proved our most popular export during the festive period but looking ahead, we anticipate significant interest from premium chocolate producers keen to capitalise on the major windows of opportunity represented by Valentine’s Day and Easter, as retailers seek out new gifting solutions from the UK. We have the capability to create a dedicated chocolate chamber within the container to cater for the specific temperature requirements of chocolate, whilst our warehousing facilities in the UK and US offer a similar facility to ensure the seamless, efficient transfer of this highly temperature sensitive cargo, providing producers with the confidence that their fine chocolate goods will arrive at the final destination in optimum condition.”

According to research by CBI Ministry of Foreign Affairs, overall, British chocolate exports to the EU have been significantly reduced after Brexit, while exports to non-EU countries like China, the USA and Australia have increased. Marry this statement with the fact that US imports of chocolate exceed those of the next largest importer by over a billion U.S. dollars (Statista August 2023) and it clear to see the sales potential for UK chocolatiers.

Artisan producers looking to export to the US can find out more about the LCL service by contacting PML Seafrigo direct, email: i.shuttlewood@seafrigo.com

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