Beggs opposes EU banning tree saplings from the rest of the UK coming into Larne
Following news that the NI protocol has caused the cancellation of an order of 100,000 trees from Great Britain, destined for Northern Ireland as part of a Woodland Trust greening project for schools and communities, Ulster Unionist Roy Beggs MLA said:
“Once again we are seeing how iniquitous and ridiculous this NI Protocol is, both to the horticultural industry and the economy of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Many young people this Spring who were expected to participate in a Northern Ireland greening project through the Woodland Trust have been robbed of the opportunity, after an order of 22,000 trees with a nursery in Great Britain had to be cancelled.
“Orders from Northern Ireland with Scottish and Welsh Nurseries totalling up to 100,000 trees and saplings have been cancelled. The reasons include either the roots have soil on them, they are from a list of trees prohibited from being imported from GB to Northern Ireland because of the third country status of GB or the undesirable paperwork including Health Certificates that greatly increase the price of the product.
“With these same regulations applying to garden plants and seedlings many young people will be denied the pleasure of escaping from the school classroom or home schooling to sow seeds, plant up seedlings in their window boxes or plant some vegetables all because the seedlings were propagated using British Soil. It`s ridiculous.”
ENDS
