It’s been a busy and energising few weeks for the NFU’s Horticulture and Potatoes Board, and I wanted to share a quick update on what’s been happening behind the scenes.
I’m really pleased to welcome several new members onto the Board. Our sector is incredibly diverse, and that’s why our Board is structured differently to others across the NFU, because horticulture doesn’t neatly follow regional boundaries, and we are a sector with approximately 300 different crop types.
I’m really pleased to have a Board where the businesses around the table represent over one fifth of the value of the sector.
We should never take for granted the power and influence we have as a collective.
“There’s a lot to do, but momentum is building.”
NFU Horticulture and Potatoes Board Chair Martin Emmett
Members are all appointed to make sure we genuinely reflect the breadth of crops, business models and geography across the country. On top of that, we co-opt members where we need specific expertise, like viticulture.
Right now, we’re actively looking to strengthen our representation of young people, the soft fruit sector and gender diversity through further co-options. If we’re going to shape the future of horticulture, we need the full range of voices at the table.
Sector plan in the works for horticulture
The second big development is the Farming and Food Partnership Board and its directive to produce a horticulture sector plan. This is our flagship opportunity to shift the dial for horticulture policy.
We met with Defra recently to kick off this work and set out the scope, and I’m encouraged by the pace the department wants to move at.
Its ambition is to deliver within six months – which is exactly the urgency our sector needs.
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Recognition for the sector
The NFU’s Horticulture Growth Strategy already sets out our core policy asks.
The new Partnership Board gives us the chance to embed those asks more deeply across government and make sure horticulture and potatoes is finally recognised as the strategic, high potential sector it is.
‘Momentum is building’
The new SPS (Sanitary and Phytosanitary) agreement (currently being negotiated) with the EU will bring opportunities and challenges. The potential for relaxations on the movement of goods heightens the need to be able to compete on equal terms with EU businesses.
We’re keeping the pressure on for meaningful funding towards productivity and support for energy costs. In recent weeks we’ve been lobbying the Department for Business and Trade, the Treasury, and Lord Walker, who’s been commissioned by No.10 to look at ways to control food inflation to highlight the extreme energy cost hikes growers are facing, including standing charges that simply aren’t sustainable.
There’s a lot to do, but momentum is building. And, as always, we’ll keep pushing hard for the sector we’re proud to represent.
More updates from NFU Council:
