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Joint plant health responsibility sharing study published

DEPARTMENT FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS News Release (405/07) issued by The Government News Network on 5 November 2007

Defra and the horticultural and agricultural industries have today published a new study into plant health threats to the UK, which will provide an evidence base against which future policy can be considered.

The study, conducted by Imperial College, London, was jointly funded by the Government and industry. It looks at responsibility and cost sharing options for dealing with plant health threats.

The report also looks to the future and identifies that the risk of new plant pests and diseases being introduced to the country is likely to increase with the impacts of climate change, globalisation of trade and travel, and the evolution of new diseases.

Commenting on the study Jeff Rooker, Minister for Sustainable Food and Farming and Animal Health, said:

"The need to deal effectively with threats to horticulture, agriculture and the wider environment from plant pests and diseases is an ongoing challenge. I therefore welcome this joint study which sets out a range of issues to be addressed in developing future policy.

"This study recognises the good work and co-operation that already exists between Government and the industry but underlines the need for increased partnership working to address these threats. We will therefore need to continue working with the industry to take this agenda forward."

Speaking on behalf of the industry partners, NFU Vice President Paul Temple said:

"This report is hugely important for the industry and a positive step forward. The prospects of UK growers being affected by plant health outbreaks is becoming more of a question of 'when' not 'if' so it's vitally important the industry and Government work together to tackle these issues.

"The report makes it clear there is no 'one size fits all' solution because of the diversity of the industry and the threats it faces. We welcome the call for greater cooperation between Government and industry on this issue and look forward to developing relationships to allow genuine sharing in the delivery of future quarantine plant health solutions."

The study can be seen on the Defra website at http://www.defra.gov.uk/planth/share.htm and is also available from the industry partners.

NOTES TO EDITORS

1. Imperial Consulting Ltd were commissioned to undertake a study to develop and evaluate options for sharing responsibilities and costs of plant health threats to the UK by:
* Defra;
* the Scottish Government;
* the Welsh Assembly Government;
* the National Farmers' Union;
* the National Farmers' Union Scotland;
* the Horticultural Trades Association;
* the Horticultural Development Council;
* the Home Grown Cereals Authority;
* the Royal Horticultural Society; and
* the British Potato Council

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