Wyevale Nurseries receives Plant Healthy Certification for high biosecurity standards

The team at Wyevale Nurseries in Herefordshire are celebrating this week after being awarded a Plant Healthy Certificate during Defra’s 2021 Plant Health Week (May 2021).

Wyevale Nurseries’ Production Manager Kyle Ross received the certification from the Plant Health Alliance and it’s just one of a handful of businesses in the country to currently have it.

Certified businesses have to successfully complete and pass a Plant Healthy audit and show they are committed to adopting high voluntary plant health and biosecurity standards. The Wyevale Nurseries audit was conducted by Grown in Britain, the certification body for the scheme.

In February 2020, the Plant Healthy Certification Scheme was soft launched to horticultural businesses at the Plant Health Alliance Conference at Kew Botanic Gardens.

Throughout 2020 and until March 1, 2021 it went through a ‘pioneer’ phase and was assisted in its development by members of the horticultural industry, including Wyevale Nurseries, to help get it up and running.

To counter the threat from plant pests, Defra’s Plant Biosecurity Strategy for Great Britain (2014) proposed the development of the certification scheme to improve biosecurity in the UK horticultural sector.

The members of the Plant Health Alliance produced the Plant Health Management Standard, which is focused on UK ornamental and amenity horticultural businesses and organisations. It can also be adopted by international businesses.

The Plant Health Management Standard – which sets out the requirements to be met by scheme registrants – was developed by specialists from industry, government and the third sector.

The Plant Health Alliance are the Governing Body for the Plant Healthy Certification Scheme, which is based on the Plant Health Management Standard.

For further details about Wyevale Nurseries, which is based in Hereford, please call 01432 845 200 or visit www.wyevalenurseries.co.uk.