APHA plant health surveillance programme
Source: gov.uk (2025-03-21)

Guidance for land managers and growers of trees, plants or crops about APHA’s plant health surveillance programme, why the surveys take place and what to expect from a survey inspection.

Every year the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) conducts ‘detection’ surveys of sites across England and Wales as part of its plant health surveillance programme. APHA conducts these surveys on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). You must allow plant health inspectors to inspect your site if they ask to.

Why the surveys take place

APHA’s detection surveys contribute to evidence used by Defra to prove the UK is free from ‘quarantine’ plant pests and diseases. Quarantine pests and diseases are listed in annex 2 of the Plant Health Regulations 2020. (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2020/9780348214901/schedule/1) They are organisms that are either not present in the UK, or are not widely present, and, by law, there must be measures in place to prevent their entry, establishment and spread. The statutory requirement for the surveys is set out in the assimilated EU 2016/2031 Regulation. (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2016/2031)

The surveys help to:

facilitate UK trade in plants and produce with other countries by providing up-to-date evidence of country freedom from plant pests and diseases, and by establishing pest-free areas for pests known to be present in the UK

protect UK industry, agriculture and the wider environment by detecting potential threats from new pests and diseases

The powers that enable APHA to carry out the surveys are set out in the Official Control Regulations 2019. (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1517/regulation/28)

Where the surveys take place

The sites APHA surveys include:
- arable farms
- garden centres and retail sites
- grain storage and distribution centres
- nurseries
- orchards
- parks and gardens open to the public
- potato fields
- protected crops (vegetable crops grown under glass)
- soft fruit production sites
- vineyards
- the wider environment – for example, roadside verges, railway sidings, canal-side areas or hedgerows
Every year, APHA randomly surveys a proportion of each type of site in each UK region. It may survey residential gardens in certain circumstances, such as in response to a plant pest or disease outbreak.

What to expect during an inspection

If your site is selected as part of a plant health survey, a local APHA inspector will contact you to arrange an inspection. This is to check for various quarantine organisms identified in Defra risk analyses as potential threats to the crops, as well as to other plants and trees. It usually involves a visual inspection and collection of samples. Your local inspector will tell you exactly what to expect.

If the inspector sends any samples for laboratory diagnosis, they’ll tell you:
- how long the process is likely to take
- what the outcome is
- what to do if a quarantine pest or disease is confirmed
A minimum level of intrusion will be put on those selected.

Requests for information

To help identify and plan suitable survey sites, APHA may ask for information about the sale and supply of plants from import to final planting site or customer.

Read APHA’s plant biosecurity privacy notice. (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/animal-and-plant-heath-agency-privacy-notices/plant-biosecurity-genetically-modified-organisms-gmo-inspections-and-alien-and-invasive-species-privacy-notice)

If a pest or disease is found on your site

If laboratory testing of a survey sample confirms the presence of a pest or disease on your site, APHA will carry out a ‘delimiting’ survey to find out the extent of it.

APHA may also establish a ‘demarcated area’ in consultation with Defra. This consists of an infested or infected zone and a buffer zone. APHA will take actions in these areas to manage or eradicate the pest or disease and prevent its spread. These actions will be set out in an incident action plan created by Defra.

Surveillance will continue until either:
- the pest or disease has been eradicated
- there has been a transition to ongoing management of the pest or disease
If there’s an outbreak of a pest or disease on your site, your local APHA inspector or regional manager will keep you informed during the response and recovery phases.

For more information on what happens during an outbreak, read Defra’s generic and pest-specific contingency plans. (https://planthealthportal.defra.gov.uk/pests-and-diseases/contingency-planning)

Defra, the Forestry Commission and the devolved governments in Scotland and Wales work together to protect plant biosecurity in Great Britain. The Plant biosecurity strategy for Great Britain 2023 to 2028 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/plant-biosecurity-strategy-for-great-britain-2023-to-2028) sets out how and why.

If you find a plant pest or disease

England, Wales and Scotland

To report a quarantine plant pest or disease in England or Wales, telephone xx-xxxx-xxxx or email xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx). This includes pests and diseases affecting agricultural crops.

To report a tree pest or disease in England, Scotland or Wales, use the Tree Alert service (https://treealert.forestresearch.gov.uk/).

To report a plant pest or disease in Scotland, contact SASA (Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture) at xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx). If a pest or disease is affecting an agricultural crop, contact the local Rural Payments and Inspections Division (RPID) area office (https://www.ruralpayments.org/topics/contact-us/).

Northern Ireland

To report a plant or tree pest or disease in Northern Ireland, contact the DAERA (Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs) Plant Health Inspection Branch. Telephone xx-xxxx-xxxx or email xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx).