The Safe Haven certification scheme has been reviewed and updated to cover areas such as closer monitoring of water use and crop storage. Safe Haven protects against any pest or disease that can be imported or introduced by seed.
The seed potato sector is an important part of the British potato industry, as seed potatoes are a valuable export commodity. Seed and fresh potatoes exports from the UK between July 2019 and June 2020 were worth just under £113 million, seed potatoes being a large proportion.
The Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board said “We work closely with important export destinations for British seed and know that our customers in countries such as Egypt, Israel, and Thailand recognise the standards and the security Safe Haven offers.”