Jeremy Vine has sparked fury from Britons after questioning whether Brexit was “worth it” as the price of imported food is set to be hiked. The presenter referred to reports that new post-Brexit import controls will see the price of many fruit and veg rise in the UK.
He posted on X: “With new warnings about potential food price hikes is Brexit worth it? The cost of fruit and veg could increase when new checks come into force on imported goods next week. Is it worth it to be out of the EU?”
Users hit back with: “Then buy British produce!”
Another said: “What are we importing that can’t be grown here in the UK. What happened to using seasonal fruit and veg.”
A third swiped: “People should buy British produce as much as possible.” Meanwhile, one expat living in Italy said: “I’m fortunate to have a property in Italy and prices for fresh produce there have escalated. What used to be ridiculously cheap is now more expensive than UK. Being in the EU would not save us from these price hikes. Food production costs are up, globally.”
New paperwork requirements for EU businesses sending animal and plant produce to the UK will likely result in price increases, with physical inspections beginning in April.
Border checks have been postponed five times since the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement came into force in January 2021, due to concerns they would push up prices and fuel inflation.
Price, choice, availability and shelf-life of goods on sale in the UK could all be impacted, food importers and Dutch flower growers have warned.
The Department for Food and Rural Affairs unexpectedly reclassified many fruit and vegetable consignments from the EU as “medium risk” from “low risk” for the purposes of the Border Target Operating Model (BTOM) from October 31 in an update on its website.
According to the Fresh Produce Consortium (FPC), the move will add £200 million to the cost of imports.
CEO of the FPC Nigel Jenney told ITV News the costs will be “passed straight on to consumers” and also threaten “numerous small businesses”.
The Food Standards Agency claims nearly half of what Brits eat comes from abroad, and early two-thirds of that has been imported from the EU.
Various pieces of extra paperwork will be necessary to many fruit and vegetables on their way into the country.
The new controls will apply to peaches, strawberries, apples, peaches, pears, tomatoes, blueberries, grapes, and some vegetables such as sweet potatoes and carrots.
According to the Food and Drink Federation, the UK imported £3 billion of vegetables in 2022, 79.4 percent of which came from the EU.
In the same year, fruit imports stood at £4.5 billion. 39.7 percent of this came from the EU.
