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The Department for Food, Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) restricted the imports of seed potatoes from the European Union after deciding not to renew a six-month authorisation. The six-month grace period had allowed imports from European Countries since the end of the Brexit transition period on January 1.
But Ministers will now consider applications to market imported seed potatoes from the bloc on a case-by-case basis following an industry-wide consultation.
It comes after the European Union refused repeated requests by UK ministers to authorise the export of seed potatoes from Britain since January 1, 2021.
Brussels has banned the export of seed spuds from Great Britain to the EU since 31 December 2020 after the Trade and Cooperation Agreement failed to agree equivalence on the goods.
A Defra spokesperson added: “This approach recognises the fact that the UK is broadly self-sufficient in the total quantity of seed potato production, while retaining a mechanism to consider future marketing authorisations as necessary.
“We also continue to press the EU to reconsider its position, in line with its own regulations, on the import of seed potatoes from Great Britain to the EU.”
Up to 10,000 tonnes of seed potatoes are imported annually from the EU for planting on British farms.
However, the UK exports about 30,000 tonnes to EU countries, worth £13.5m, the majority of which come from Scotland.
Scottish farming chiefs welcomed the news and claimed any extension to the grace period had the potential to “devastate” the industry.
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“The GB market is quite different from the EU market, so the potato sector has quite a task on its hands to develop and supply this internal market.
“In the meantime, NFU Scotland will be working with the government and our European counterparts to regain access to the EU market.
“This will not be an easy task as the EU Commission has made it very clear on several occasions that the seed potato trade is a casualty of Brexit.”
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