Win for British farm as cabbages allowed into Malaysia

Tens of thousands of Lincolnshire cabbages held up at the Malaysian border have been allowed into the country following an intervention by the UK’s Department for International Trade.

DIT worked with Naylor Farms to release around 25,000 round cabbages from the Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services.

The producer has been growing cabbages, potatoes and daffodils near Spalding, Lincolnshire since 1909 and recently secured a three-year contract to export 10,800 tonnes of round cabbage to Malaysia.

Four shipments of fresh cabbages had been held up at the border because of a gap in regulations, but DIT and Naylor Farms eventually secured temporary approval for the cabbages to be imported into Malaysia.

The Malaysian government has also formed a committee to review its food import regulations, including those that apply to vegetables.

Trade policy minister Conor Burns said: “By getting rid of red tape, we can open up markets and create new opportunities for British businesses to sell their produce around the world.

“This is good news and I look forward to working with the Malaysian government to find a permanent solution so that Malaysian people can continue to enjoy great British vegetables.”

The DIT added that approval for the cabbages was part of the department’s work to lower market access barriers in key economies around the world to make it easier for British businesses to trade internationally.

A study by the OECD suggests all G20 economies could see exports increase by more than 20 per cent in the long term if trade barriers were halved globally.

Simon Naylor of Naylor Farms said: “This has been a massive step forward for Naylors. I wish to thank the Department for International Trade for their assistance in working our way through the process of importing our products to Malaysia.

“This has not only been a step forward for us but also for other companies wishing to import their goods to Malaysia.”

The British government has an online tool to allow UK businesses to report trade barriers. Its trade experts can then work with countries around the world to resolve them.