Aberfeldy Nursery Manager Robert Baron was tight-lipped last night over reports the firm was to sue over lost produce impounded by Government inspectors.

But Director of Agriculture and Fisheries John Barnes hinted that legal action was in the pipeline.

He said: "I heard mention to that effect on the radio but nothing has been served.

"There have been a few veiled and not so veiled threats. I do know the Ministry's headquarters is liaising with Aberfeldy's legal people.'' Mr. Baron said: "I am not commenting at this stage.'' However another nursery manager said he had lost two shipments of geraniums worth around $10,000 due to faulty documents.

Brighton Nurseries Manager Eddie Simas said: "It's always been difficult to import plants but now it's getting harder and harder.

"The Government inspectors say they are trying to protect the floral culture but now we are running in circles.

"I don't know why they do this. It's their policy and it's their way or the highway.

He said problems with faulty paperwork had been smoothed over in the past but now Government has destroying produce.

"We aren't insured. I don't deal with the supplier directly. I deal with the distributor. They don't charge me but we still have to pay the freight.'' But he said some suppliers were unwilling to send produce to him because it was always getting impounded.

"Growers are saying they can't afford to do business with me because they can't keep suffering the losses.

"I have sent a letter to the Permanent Secretary a couple of weeks ago about this but I haven't heard anything back from him.

"Growers just want to get together and hammer out the differences.'' Mr. Simas is now sweating on a shipment of outdoor hardy perennials which is awaiting clearance.

However Mr. Barnes explained his department was increasingly coming across dubious paperwork.

He said: "It might say it comes from Florida but actually it originates in Mexico or Guatamala.

"It might be all the same kind of plant but it came from four or five different places.

`For example say you want to bring in roses from New York. They must be certified that they don't have pests A,B,C, and D which we know exist in New York.

"But if they are put on a plane in New York but they really come from Texas and there are six other pests that are known to come from there but it hasn't been tested for those things.'' He said his department was working with American authorities to try to make sure plants had been tested for everything which might harm Bermuda before shipments were sent.

But he said some unscrupulous exporters were inpatient about such rigorous checks for relatively small shipments and tried to cut corners by amending documents with liquid paper.

And he said standards here would not be dropped when there were such dangers as the pink mealybug which was wreaking havoc in the Caribbean.

He said: "It would devastate the countryside.''