Seed Potatoes, Plants for Planting and Machinery Movement - ACTION REQUIRED

14 Aug 2023

From 1 October 2023, plants for planting, seed potatoes, and used agricultural and forestry machinery can move from Great Britain to Northern Ireland between professional operators, without requiring phytosanitary certification.

The new process will require an industry-issued plant health label ('NI Plant Health Label'), similar to the existing plant passport used in intra-GB movements.

Traders will need to be registered and authorised by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) in England and Wales or SASA in Scotland and comply with specific requirements which we will set out shortly in guidance.

Authorisation by APHA or SASA will allow professional operators to issue NI Plant Health Labels for plants for planting and used agricultural/forestry machinery moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.

Seed potatoes can also be moved from GB to NI using the NI Plant Health Label. However, similarly to the Seed Potato Classification Scheme, labels must be issued by the competent authority (APHA or SASA).

Certain plant species require additional inspection during the growing season to permit subsequent movement to Northern Ireland. Whilst many of these plants can be inspected as part of plant passport inspections, there are a number which can not.

Please complete the form linked HERE: Northern Ireland Plant Health Label Expression of Interest Form (office.com) below as a matter of urgency to indicate that you are happy to be contacted on this matter so that the necessary inspections for plants for planting can be arranged at an appropriate time.

If you intend to move only fruit and vegetables for consumption or cut flowers for retail, you do not need to complete this form, as they are covered by the Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme. More detail on the Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme can be found here: Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme: how the scheme will work - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Authorised Operators for plant passporting in Scotland have already been asked for this information, so you do not need to express your intentions again.

Please send any queries on this matter to traders@defra.gov.uk.