Members of the NFU board for horticulture and potatoes reflect on the highs and lows of the last twelve months and give their hopes for the year ahead.
Guy Poskitt - a root vegetable grower from Yorkshire and board chairman
The last year in the horticulture and potatoes sectors has bought us growers many challenges – the varying price pressure, labour issues and of course problems around the availability of pesticides to name just a few. However, the biggest shocks have come from the retail sector, with the huge growth of the discounters putting pressure on the big four retailers, and signs they may be beginning to break under the strain.
Meanwhile, our successes ranged from getting recognition of ‘spring’ and ‘winter’ brassicas as separate crops under the CAP ‘3-crop rule’, to providing free resources to help members, like the new and improved Potato Sellers Checklist and the excellent updated NFU audit pack. We also had significant input to the National Pollinator Strategy, which has resulted in a balanced and strongly evidence-based approach to safeguarding pollinating insects.
Looking to 2015, the general election is going to dominate the agenda for the. My biggest fear for 2015 is around the political hot potato of immigration which is likely to be one of the key topics the next election is going to be fought around. My hope would be that, rather than trying to appeal to those whose views are based on too much sensational reporting in the media, that we see politicians with the conviction to talk about the facts around immigration – in particular that immigrants to the UK from the rest of Europe have had a positive impact on our economy and are essential for the production of our fantastic British-grown fruit, veg, potatoes, flowers or plants.
In addition, I would like to see 2015 bringing supply chains closer towards fairer, more transparent and longer-term relationships, with growers having access to the right supply chain environment to run and grow their businesses. I would like growers to have access the right market support, R&D and innovation to help them respond to the changing marketplace. And finally, I would like to see evidence-based policies developed across Government and in the EU that meet our needs around labour, pesticides, plant health, water resources, planning, pollinators, and promoting the really positive contribution of fresh produce and ornamentals to health and well-being.
Tim Papworth - a potato and vining pea grower from Norfolk and board vice-chairman
When looking back on 2014 season I will remember the weather, abstraction reform and plant protection products! Firstly, 2014 was a very good growing year with mild temperatures which helped produce some record breaking crops (100T/Ha Sugar Beet!) but this lead to problems in ambient stores because there were no cold conditions to bring the crop temperatures down. Getting potato crops to skin set was also very problematic and took a lot longer than normal which caused quality effects and several stores to break down which is a big cost to growers and a waste to the industry! Many abstractors have responded to the government’s consultation on Abstraction reform and we will know the results of that process very soon this year. While on consultations, many of us responded to the Endocrine Disruptors consultation which could affect our plant protection for many years.
My hopes for 2015 are:
- To increase consumption of all home grown fruit and vegetables which will benefit the health of the country.
- That we have a workable system for abstraction which allows for our businesses to grow and does not penalize us for being efficient!
- The consultation on endocrine disruptors does not stop us from using some vital plant protection products which our industry needs if we are to compete on a global scale.
- To increase exports and reduce imports.
Ali Capper - a top fruit and hops grower from Worcestershire
In 2014, I was wishing for better weather, fairer supply chain relationships and a campaign to promote apples more widely as a snack. Some of those wishes have come true! The weather in 2014 was kind to most of us and there is a brand new advertising and social media campaign to promote English apples: http://www.loveenglishapples.co.uk/
So for 2015, my New Year’s wishes are for a great growing season for us all, lots of sunshine and enough rain to grow beautiful looking, great tasting and high quality fruit and veg. I would like to see the fruit and veg sector repackaging itself as the “snack of choice” for all consumers, being available in snack formats in every garage forecourt, convenience store and newsagent, on every train station and train, in every coffee shop and at every snacking opportunity nationwide. We need to help British families lead healthier lifestyles and make sure our amazing British fruit & veg in on sale in every place they might go to buy a snack.
I’d like to see an end to price wars on food that sees food being sold for below the cost of production: fairer returns with more of the profit coming back down to farm gate so that we can reinvest to make our businesses sustainable into the future.
Finally I’d like to see much greater collaboration by growers within sectors and across sectors to make sure that we gain a stronger position with our customers at home and take full advantage of the export opportunities around the world.
Mark Leggott – a vining peas, potatoes and field vegetable grower from Lincolnshire
It is no secret, we all know the date for the General Election is May 7th 2015.
Some of the major political parties take their rural vote for granted whereas others count on their support coming from the urban areas. This time around every seat will be bitterly contested. My aim is to promote the virtues of U.K. horticulture to all candidates in the local constituency.
My great hope would be to see them all pledging to try and reverse the current trends in our declining National self-sufficiency. There seems to be a clear correlation between the mid 80’s when we were at our peak in self-sufficiency at around 80% and spending plenty on applied research when compared to the current day when we are at only 60%. Current projections put us on track to only be 50% self-sufficient by 2040 and 45% by 2080.
Granted, that with dates such as these, I will not be around to see the years in, but I feel it is my duty to try and ensure that we act now to try and reverse the trend. If we can’t get the politicians to pay attention in an election year- when can we?
As an industry we need to invest in R&D and we call upon the Government to do the same, especially in applied research. It is my strong belief that we can only reverse the trend if we begin again to believe in the nation producing more of its own food, but for this to happen we need desperately to match the national trend of our competitors in agricultural research and development.
Therefore, the first party to put a growth plan for horticulture in its manifesto will get my attention. Not only must they adopt a growth plan, they must believe in it and put it into action. My great hope for 2015 is for this to finally happen.
Simon Davenport – BPOA Chairman
2014 was a vast improvement with regard to the trading conditions for seasonal plants compared with the previous two seasons. Weather in the spring was much more stable and dry and selling in the second quarter was generally good. Weather patterns inevitably affect ornamentals sales around the country and regional variations often account for commercial gains or losses. At the end of the summer, figures for sales were more than adequate. Sales in the autumn and winter were also improved and plant volumes on target. Margins are still under pressure and forecast production will remain close to existing levels in the coming year.
In 2015, ornamentals producers are planning for steady increases and there is some cautious optimism but little room for speculative growth in the ‘multiples’ trade. Large scale increases in production are not possible on fine margins without stable forward ordering and in the face of unpredictable weather patterns.
The price for fuel continues to be a big issue and a number of growers are already benefiting from the use of biomass heating which will prove its worth in the longer term even if conventional fuel sources are currently reducing in cost. Apart from the on-going problems with the loss of chemical active ingredients and adapting to reduced peat media, growers are able to cope with the constraints of developing improved sustainability in their growing practices.
Anthony Snell - a soft fruit grower from Herefordshire
Weather-wise, 2014 was generally pretty good for Horticulture, with an early spring after a very wet winter, followed by a summer and autumn with good levels of sunshine. In fact just what I asked for in these reflections this time last year! So more of the same please!
Although, traditionally, we have our UK weather challenges, we have to be thankful and opportunist to the fact that the UK is ideal for Horticulture whilst many parts of Europe, and the world, are become increasingly dry!
Fundamentally, for Horticulture, my ongoing wish is for our industry to increase grower collaboration, with more planned and coordinated production in line with our customers’ requirements. Despite what many people think, retailers don't want to sell cheaply, but the whole chain is pulled down this route, often by seasonal overproduction, combined with unprecedented retail competition, which is certainly not helped by the increasing emergence of the discounters!
As an industry in 2015, Horticulture must make a resolution to promote and increase the consumption of healthy fruits and vegetables for the nation’s physical health, and ours financially!
What we produce as an industry is unique in that increased consumption is better for you!
Recent research has shown that increased consumption reduces the risk of heart disease, and cancer hugely, and the risk of premature death by as much as 42%. What are we waiting for?
Finally, in an election year, we must not forget the ongoing challenges with the supply of labour, post-SAWS. As we predicted, the industry has managed short-term, but with an improving economy across the UK, and Europe (and a UKIP fuelled anti-immigration trend) the longer term supply of seasonal labour is going to be a major challenge.
Britain, and Horticulture, gains economically and financially from the cross-border movements of labour, and as an industry, we must promote these facts and remain focused on this issue.