Provender Nurseries celebrates becoming the first trade supplier to have a Control Point
After three years working towards gaining CP status, Accredited Supplier Provender Nurseries becomes the first UK trade nursery to become a Control Point.
Stuart Tickner, Head of Nursery, Biosecurity & Production says,
"This is a huge asset to Provender Nurseries and the culmination of hard work and effort. We are immensely pleased to be the first trade supply nursery to become a CP. We can unload our own stock bypassing the Border Control points at ports ensuring all plants are unloaded here at Provender with our own experienced, trained staff that know how to handle plants correctly and can recognise pests and diseases. Becoming a CP has many positives for Provender and will result in faster, smoother transition of plant imports to us, reduced costs and savings in costs to our customers."
Richard McKenna, Managing Director says,
"This is a monumental achievement and cements our ethos for doing everything we can to be plant healthy and continue to uphold the highest practices for biosecurity at Provender Nurseries. Where lead times are important to our clients, we can reduce waiting times and have a faster turn-around for imported stock. Over the next 6 - 12 months Provender will be solely looking after importing their own plant imports in order to develop operations onsite. When the time comes, Provender will start working with other import suppliers and hauliers to offer to handle their stock and offer the best service possible."
As another step in improving the Control Point, Provender currently has two staff members in training on the Authorised Operators Status pilot scheme.
The journey to becoming a CP involved working with APHA, trade bodies and Government representatives with an HTA Borders and Trade Roadshow control meeting in February bringing all parties together to discuss the process in detail. Onsite training for stevedores for Border Control Points took place over this summer focusing on handling plant material.