The team at Wyevale Nurseries is celebrating this week after being awarded a Plant Healthy Certificate for its high biosecurity standards for the third year running (May 2023).
Kyle Ross with the certification.
Production Manager Kyle Ross received the certification from the Plant Health Alliance following a rigorous independent external audit, and the company now has an in-house Plant Healthy Organisation Group too.
Kyle says: "We're delighted to announce that we've achieved our Plant Healthy certification for a third year running. It's pretty significant to be announcing our news this week as Friday, May 12, marks the United Nation's International Day of Plant Health to raise global awareness and take action to keep plants healthy and help protect the environment and biodiversity.
"Our external audit was conducted by Grown in Britain, the certification body for the scheme, and they found our measures to be robust. I'd like to thank every team member involved in the process for cooperating and sharing their time and knowledge. It was a massive team effort. Plant Healthy Certification is a huge asset to us in securing work.
"I am particularly indebted to Chris Mason and Adrian Cituran over at trees and transplants, James Mattock for his annual traceability expertise, and a big 'thank you' goes to Cian Lynch and Sam Bateman, who were both fantastic in representing their divisions and are now part of our internal Plant Healthy Organisation Group.
"The Group has been established to have a representative in our containers, field, and container trees and transplants departments who will be responsible for implementing Plant Healthy standards and protocols for their production departments. This demonstrates just how seriously we take our responsibilities."
This certification scheme makes it easier to identify businesses or organizations that trade and grow plants with the highest standards of health and biosecurity.
Kyle adds: "It also helps reduce the risk of introducing/spreading destructive plant pests via our trade plant supply chains and protects the horticulture industry, other cultivated plants, and natural habitats."
Certified businesses must successfully complete and pass a Plant Healthy audit and show they are committed to adopting high voluntary plant health and biosecurity standards.
The Plant Health Alliance is the Governing Body for the Plant Healthy Certification Scheme, which is based on the Plant Health Management Standard.
The Plant Health Alliance produce the Plant Health Management Standard, which is focused on UK ornamental and amenity horticultural businesses and organizations. 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.
Alistair Yeomans, Manager for the Plant Healthy Certification Scheme, explains: "The Standard aims to empower horticultural businesses to take a proactive approach to plant biosecurity. The Plant Health Alliance aims to promote the importance of protecting the health of our plant life from plant pests and diseases, as doing so will help safeguard the biodiversity of the British landscape and support the UK economy."
Wyevale Nurseries' product selection is admired across the industry, and the talented team regularly introduces new, award-winning plant varieties.
Its main business is to supply garden centers, landscape contractors, local authorities, foresters, and landowners with a comprehensive array of trees, shrubs, hedging, herbaceous and specimen plants.
For more information:
Wyevale Nurseries
Wyevale Way, Kings Acre,
Hereford. HR4 7AY, UK
Tel.: +44 (0) 1432 845200
Fax: +44 (0) 1432 845227
enquiries@wyevale-nurseries.co.uk
www.wyevalenurseries.co.uk