ONE OF THE UK’s leading commercial nurseries based in Hereford recently (April, 2019) had its UK Sourced & Grown Assurance Scheme (UKSG) application renewed.

Wyevale Nurseries applied for inclusion in the joint Woodland Trust and Grown in Britain scheme and will be able to offer those trees for sale under a verified UK Sourced and Grown label. 

Chris King, Assistant Production Manager at Wyevale Nurseries’ Transplants Division, explained: “The scheme guarantees our buyers that trees in our stock marked with the UKSG badge are raised from seeds sourced only from the UK and grown in the UK for their entire lifespan. 

“Being part of the scheme allows our customers to come to us and source full traceable UK provenance stock. This is particularly important in not only sustaining our own business but reducing the requirements for imports, by creating more demand for UK provenance stock.

“This reduction in imports supports our industry, while minimising the risk from foreign pest and diseases, which can have a devastating impact on our landscape.

“We are not prohibited from selling non-UK stock, but being a part of the scheme ensures our buyers know exactly what they are buying.”

To gain UKSG assurance, Wyevale Nurseries underwent a close inspection from the Woodland Trust Development Team. 

Chris added: “They mainly focussed on our ability to trace where stock had come from, supplying seed certificates where needed and that the majority of the stock we supplied was British sown and grown. 

“The following also helped us to gain accreditation – Forest Reproductive Material registered for more than 30 years, full traceability across stock with a solid paperwork trail to back up provenance, close monitoring of stock and pest and disease-free stock.

“The scheme adds further protection for British trees, complementing the range of measures already in place at borders, and across the UK, which safeguard our biosecurity.”

Wyevale Nurseries’ main business is to supply garden centres, landscape contractors, local authorities, foresters and landowners with a comprehensive array of trees, shrubs, hedging, herbaceous and specimen plants. 

For further details about Wyevale Nurseries, which is based in Hereford, please call 01432 845 200, visit www.wyevalenurseries.co.uk, follow the company on Twitter atwww.twitter.com/WyevaleNurs or log on to www.facebook.com/WyevaleNurs.