Groceries Code Adjudicator Christine Tacon and NFU Horticulture Board Chairman Guy Poskitt will be at Fruit Focus on Wednesday 24 July in Kent.
The event is building on its reputation as the place to catch up with the latest technology, agronomy and machinery developments as well as business and marketing advice.
A range of top-level debates will air some of the sector’s key policy and technical issues.
The Fruit Focus forums, sponsored by the NFU, include a session on labour and employment offering the latest updates and advice from specialist NFU advisers. In addition, Christine Tacon, Groceries Code Adjudicator and Guy Poskitt, NFU Horticulture Board acting chairman will be headlining a supply chain panel session.
The technical session will examine prospects for addressing the pollination issue – looking at the pressures that are affecting native pollinators and hives on which the UK’s fruit sector depends, and how these problems might be overcome.
Vines to Wines, partnered by English Wine Producers and the United Kingdom Vineyards Association, will host a seminar looking at planning for a profitable vineyard operation with well-known Australian viticulturalist Dr Richard Smart, aimed at new growers looking to join this fast-growing and exciting sector.
In addition, Fruit Focus has again teamed up with Wine Skills, Plumpton College’s knowledge transfer initiative, to provide two practical workshops to help growers manage their vines to best advantage.
Fruit Focus host East Malling Research is celebrating its centenary this year. As well as the popular and highly informative fruit research tours, which highlight the latest trials work being undertaken at the venue, EMR will be re-creating a laboratory as it would have looked in 1913, complete with researchers in period dress.
“We hope it will be a bit of fun as well as being informative,” says Peter Gregory, chief executive of EMR. “We will be comparing this piece of history with today’s labs and the type of work we are doing in them. We will also be giving an account of the East Malling Collection - all the varieties of fruits and ornamentals that have been released from East Malling over the past 25 years.”
Visitors will also be able to view machinery and equipment being put through its paces in the centrally located demonstration arena.
Berry Gardens will again welcome growers, suppliers and visitors to their hospitality marquee, says research director Richard Harnden. “As always, there will be a strong presence of grower directors, executives and staff available ready to discuss the challenges of the season as well as new developments and varieties being progressed.”
Tickets for Fruit Focus 2013 cost £10 (inc VAT) and are available online or on the day; for more information on this and the event go to www.fruitfocus.co.uk