The United Kingdom Department of Agriculture (Defra) has decided not to renew the exemption for the import of seed potatoes from the EU. As a result, no more seed potatoes can go to Great Britain. The decision is a response to the European import ban on seed potatoes.
After Brexit on January 1, 2021, Defra introduced a transition period for 6 months for the import of European seed potatoes. However, the EU and the UK have been unable to reach an agreement on trade terms. The ban only applies to Great Britain. Northern Ireland is excluded from this due to the agreements on an open border with EU member state Ireland.
Scots relieved
Scottish seed potato growers react with relief to the ban. "An extension of the exemption could potentially be disastrous for the Scottish seed potato sector," Mike Wilson, chairman of the potato working group of the National Farmers Union Scotland (NFUS), said in various media. "We are pleased that Defra has adhered to the principle of 'both ways or no-ways' in the seed potato trade between the EU and the UK. This means that English potato growers will now have to source their seed potatoes from Great Britain. That is good news for Scottish seed potato growers. But because the European market is quite different from the domestic market, we have quite a task to develop the internal supply."
Before Brexit, Scotland exported around 30.000 seed potatoes worth £13,5 million to Europe every year. Most of it is high-quality starting material. According to NAO data, the Netherlands has exported more than 15.000 tons of seed potatoes to Great Britain annually in recent years.