London, UK: The Fresh Produce Consortium has written to ministers to put forward its members’ concerns about the UK’s post-Brexit border strategy, according to the Guardian newspaper.
The FPC says that “anticipated additional costs, delay and disruption” for checks on perishable goods would “materially contribute towards consumer inflation, business on-costs, food waste, and carbon emissions”.
The FPC’s warning was part of its response to the government’s consultation with industry on its new border strategy, called the target operating model.
The draft strategy includes the introduction of a charge of up to £43 for each consignment from January 2023. The FPC believes that the fresh produce industry could face up to £11m in extra costs each year as a result of this charge.
The final border strategy is expected to be published shortly.
