According to Port of Dover officials, the UK's food security is under threat due to the government's on conducting import checks at an inland facility instead of at the point of entry, This is part of a larger issue related to post-Brexit border checks, which have been introduced after five delays and are affecting over 45% of the country's food imports.
Trade has already been impacted, with imports of apples and oranges dropping by 16.8% and 18.2%, respectively. The situation could worsen due to a shortage of European vets required to check consignments. Marco Forgione, director general of the Institute of Export and International Trade, warns that the unclear introduction of border checks could limit food supplies.
UK farmers are also suffering due to government farm subsidies and price gouging by supermarkets. Liz Webster, founder of Save British Farming, notes that EU farmers are offering lower prices due to fewer labor issues and ongoing EU subsidies. As a result, many UK farmers are quitting the business.
The Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), a grant program for environmental actions on farms, has also been criticized for undermining farming. It is believed that the UK's food self-sufficiency has dropped below the 61% recorded in 2022.
Source: theguardian.com