NFU Horticulture and Potatoes Board chair Martin Emmett kicked-off the session explaining some of the main points in the NFU's revised strategy, which aims to set the political agenda for UK horticulture.
It highlights the top 10 policy areas which can unlock barriers and enable growth, including access to labour and crop protection products, a more enabling planning framework, energy price support, and future horticulture funding.
Read the revised strategy: NFU Horticulture Strategy builds on sector progress
In his presentation, Mr Emmett looked at what progress has been made and reiterated that as we headed towards a general election, it was imperative that all political parties got behind this strategy and helped drive the sector forward.
He highlighted three areas in particular, the first of which was the need to address unfair trading practices and for improved transparency in the supply chain and he urgently called on members to give their feedback to the Defra supply chain fairness review, which closes imminently.
Long term challenge
“This has been a long-term challenge for the whole sector, and what we really want is for government to use its powers in the Agriculture Act to address unfair practices in the supply chain.
“For Defra to do that really depends on the feedback that goes into their review. This was a major ask by the NFU to get this review under way."
Another key area is planning, said Mr Emmett, as so often this is the final barrier where things fall down.
“There can be the greatest prospect of building that reservoir or new greenhouse and just when you need to put in that investment, planning produces these hurdles.”
A major barrier, said Mr Emmett, is that if you want to build a significant development you have to build into the plan a net increase in biodiversity and “in real terms that usually means more land or buying offsets.
“Critically, we need an announcement on next year’s seasonal worker allowance now and we need that to be accompanied with a rolling five-year plan.”
NFU Horticulture and Potatoes Board chair Martin Emmett
So essentially if we want to try to build greenhouses, we have a situation where we are facing a tax that is effectively designed for big commercial and housing developments and we all know our industry is not designed to be able to bear those type of costs.
“Give an exemption to greenhouses,” he added, “it’s an area we are really pushing forward on. We need more consistency and more guidelines from the government.”
Seasonal worker asks
Mr Emmett then moved on to the Seasonal Workers Scheme and the frustrations at government not releasing their worker allocation for 2025.
“This is not tenable; we cannot go from year to year not being clear what seasonal workers allocation we will be getting. If this industry is going to be sustainable and grow, we will need more workers in the future not less.
“Growers are already making those plans for next year and we simply can’t just keep waiting. Our ask is for a five-year rolling plan and we must have that to build certainty into our industry and make the investments that we need.
“Critically, we need an announcement on next year’s seasonal worker allowance now and we need that to be accompanied with a rolling five-year plan.”
Mr Emmett concluded: “Our revised Horticulture Growth Strategy sets out the key government and supply chain policies which need to be addressed in order to deliver that growth. As we head towards a general election, it is imperative that all political parties get behind this strategy and help drive the sector forward.”
Meet the speakers from this session
Lee Abbey
Chief adviser (Crop and plant production)
He works closely with the national boards for Horticulture & Potatoes and Combinable Crops to develop and deliver their key strategic aims.
Martin Emmett
NFU Horticulture and Potatoes Board chair
He is a director of Tristram Plants, part of the Farplants co-operative which grows and markets over 2000 plant varieties and generates more than £50 million annual sales through retail.
Emma Crosby
External Affairs Manager, National Farmers Union
Derek Wilkinson
NFU Horticulture and Potatoes Board member
He is Managing Director of Sandfields Farms Ltd (part of the G’s Group), growing over 1600ha of salads and vegetables for the major retailers, plus a West Africa farm business in Senegal which produces over 400 ha of winter salads for the UK and EU market.
Tim Rooke
NFU Potato Policy Group chair | NFU Horticulture and Potatoes Board vice chair
He farms in partnership with his brother and has a mixture of tenanted and owned farms. He also grows wheat, oats, and oilseed rape.
Previously, he has been a member of United Potato Farmers Limited, a director of Alpha Group, and member of the AHDB potatoes marketing group.
Simon Conway
Chief Executive, Horticulture Crop Protection Ltd
He had a long career with Vitacress Ltd. where he was Commercial Director and then Managing Director at Vitacress Herbs Ltd and more recently Vitacress Salads Ltd.
He was Vice Chairman of West Sussex Growers association for 4 years and is current Chair of British Tomato Growers Association.