After months of uncertainty, the United Kingdom has officially lifted the ban on the import of ornamental plants from Italy. This is highly anticipated and significant news for a sector that, with over 42 million euros exported to the UK alone in 2024, finds one of its main commercial outlets in this market.

The temporary ban was imposed in autumn 2024 following the repeated detection of the invasive insect Pochazia shantungensis, native to Asia, on several shipments from the nursery district of Pistoia. This drastic precautionary measure involved the systematic destruction of plants blocked at customs, causing significant damage both to Italian producers and to importers across the Channel.

Pochazia shantungensis is a highly polyphagous insect that attacks over 200 plant species of agronomic, ornamental, and forestry interest. In Italy, it was first reported in 2022 and found a favorable environment in warm-temperate areas, especially in the central and southern regions. Its harmful potential mainly manifests through the trophic activity of the adult forms, which consume the sap of host plants, weakening them and making them vulnerable to other pathogens. This is facilitated by the release of sugary secretions that encourage the growth of sooty molds and the rapid dissemination of eggs on twigs.

However, studies conducted by UK plant health authorities, culminating in a Rapid Pest Risk Analysis, highlighted the insect’s inability to complete its life cycle under British climatic conditions. Summers are not warm enough, and unfavorable conditions, such as the lack of woody substrates in crops, prevent its stable establishment.

The study concluded that since the insect cannot establish itself in the UK or cause unacceptable economic damage, it does not meet the criteria to be classified as a quarantine pest, and therefore there is no justification for trade restrictions.

The lifting of the ban is the result of a long diplomatic and technical effort led by MASAF, with support from the Italian Embassy in the UK, Italian plant health authorities, and scientific experts from CREA. This joint commitment has demonstrated, with solid data, the absence of a concrete risk to British agriculture and the environment.

For the Italian plant nursery sector, the ban had caused a 3.2% drop in exports. Now, with the market reopening, the sector can once again look to the UK with renewed confidence, ready to regain market share and consolidate strategic commercial relationships.

This episode sends a clear message: vigilance on plant health emergencies must remain high. In a global context where the movement of goods and organisms is increasingly intense, prevention is essential. In this regard, digital tools like Phytoweb become indispensable. The portal enables sector operators to analyze specific phytosanitary risks for each plant and destination country, ensuring safe exports that are compliant with international regulations.

The return of Italian ornamental plants to the UK market is not only a commercial victory but also a sign of the sector’s maturity, resilience and responsibility, capable of facing crises and adapting to the rules of global trade.

Now more than ever, protecting plants means protecting the future of the economy, the environment and biodiversity. The Italian plant nursery sector is ready to face this challenge with renewed determination and professionalism.