In a blistering statement that lays bare the frustrations of an industry in turmoil, the Fresh Produce Consortium (FPC) has launched a fierce critique of the UK Government’s handling of post-Brexit border policy. The industry body accuses ministers of abandoning key sectors—growers, importers and wholesalers—to the dysfunction of a “collapsing border system.”
While a partial reprieve has been secured for the fruit and vegetable sector, thanks to FPC’s intensive lobbying, the organisation warns that this is merely a temporary lifeline—and one that has left other critical sectors, such as cut flowers and plants, gasping for survival.
A System in Disarray
The FPC argues that what is unfolding is not a policy disagreement, but a full-blown crisis. Businesses are reportedly haemorrhaging money, confidence and customers due to a border regime riddled with inefficiencies, spiralling costs, and bureaucratic inertia.
“The BTOM border system is broken,” says FPC Chief Executive Nigel Jenney. “And those who built it don’t seem to care.”
One of the industry’s major grievances is the Government’s decision to abandon the Authorised Operator Status (AOS) model—an industry-backed border solution developed collaboratively and funded entirely by private businesses. The move has left many stakeholders stunned, especially after the scheme had reportedly passed its pilot phase successfully.
“This wasn’t just a policy trial,” said Jenney. “It was a shared commitment. Businesses built infrastructure on promises made by Government—and they’ve now been left stranded.”
Victory for Fruit & Veg—but at What Cost?
Despite the mounting criticism, FPC did manage to extract a hard-won exemption from full sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) checks for medium-risk EU fruit and vegetable imports, effective until 31 January 2027. This victory has spared over 700,000 annual shipments from disruptive inspections and saved an estimated £200 million in costs—relief that has also helped prevent a fresh spike in consumer food prices.
But Jenney is quick to temper any celebration: “This exemption gives us breathing space—but that’s all it is. The real work remains undone.”
A Forgotten Sector: Flowers and Plants
While fruit and vegetable traders catch their breath, the flower and plant sectors are being left to “wither,” according to the FPC. The organisation paints a bleak picture of inspection delays, excessive official fees, and an infrastructure so poorly designed that it is driving European suppliers away from the UK market altogether.
The statistics are damning. The cut flower sector boasts a 99.5% compliance rate in recent border checks, but still faces the full brunt of a system that, FPC claims, is more focused on process than practicality.
“It’s not about capacity—it’s about will,” said Jenney. “We have inspectors who are no longer needed for fruit and veg, and yet they’re not being redeployed to support other sectors in desperate need.”
Betrayal of Trust
For many in the industry, the scrapping of the AOS scheme represents not just a failed policy, but a betrayal of trust. Businesses, many of them small and family-run, invested without grant support into a model that was encouraged by Government—and now find themselves without support, direction, or a viable alternative.
FPC has made urgent demands for action, including:
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Deployment of out-of-hours inspection staff at key Control Points
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Redeployment of existing resources to support flower and plant imports
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Reinstatement or replacement of the AOS model
Yet, according to Jenney, all the industry has received in response is “vague nods to ongoing discussions” with no clear delivery timetable.
A Crisis of Confidence
The implications of this ongoing border disorder extend well beyond individual businesses. According to FPC, what’s at stake is the future of UK food security, consumer affordability, and international supply chain confidence.
“The Government must stop talking about what might work in years to come and start fixing what’s broken today,” said Jenney. “What was promised to be a world-leading border has become a world-class failure—
FPC’s message to Government is clear: enough delays, enough ambiguity. With sectors collapsing under the weight of their own compliance, and proven solutions left to die on the vine, the time for action is now.
“This is not an accident,” concludes Jenney. “It’s a self-inflicted crisis, born of political choices and a refusal to listen. The consequences are real, immediate, and entirely avoidable.”