Suffolk vegetable growers switch to combinable crops

The National Farmers' Union (NFU) policy manager for the East of England says the region's horticultural industry is under huge pressure.

Charles Hesketh said the NFU had heard reports of  orchards being grubbed up across Kent - and of former vegetable fields being used for combinable crop production in Suffolk - because growing the crops has become too costly and difficult.

“Growers across the East of England continue to face a broad range of challenges which is stifling investment, confidence and production," he said.

"We have been hearing of sector contraction for the last few years as a result of the challenges principally due to fairness in the supply chain, input price inflation and access to labour."

The NFU claims that the government response to a  House of Lords Horticulture Sector Committee Report is failing to address the significant challenges the sector faces. 

But the NFU said there was scope to grow the UK fruit, vegetable, plants and flower industry.

“These areas are highly productive and should be producing horticultural crops and we need the importance of this recognised not just with words but with actions," said Charles.

The government said in its response to the report that it was committed to supporting the horticulture sector was earmarked by government at its Farm to Fork summit as an area for growth and a promise of a Horticulture Strategy within its own Food Strategy, published in 2022.

NFU horticulture and potatoes board chair Martin Emmett said: “The British horticulture sector is worth £5bn to the UK economy, yet despite its own ambitions, much of the government’s response seems to have missed the opportunity to grow the British horticulture sector.

“As an industry we are facing the third of year of unprecedented and highly volatile costs of production, together with supply chains that return little value back to growers.

"The recent Promar report showed this is having a direct impact on growers with many business owners saying they are thinking about cutting production this coming season. The risk and lack of reward is simply too high.

“Having experienced shortages of some of the nation’s favourite fruit and vegetables in the past 12 months, and with ongoing global instability, our supply chain is fragile.

"We shouldn’t rely on imports to feed the nation. Instead we need government to match its own ambitions for the sector, alongside supporting our ornamental plant and flower businesses to achieve their environmental and biosecurity objectives.

“As a start, we need to give our British growers certainty by having a consistent plan for seasonal labour, including a five-year rolling Seasonal Workers Scheme, as well as sustainable returns and longer-term contracts with their key customers, the retailers and processors.”