NFU blasts lack of support for garden centres and nurseries

HORTICULTURE: Fears plant growing businesses won’t recover from debt

Farm leaders have slammed the UK Government for failing to provide compensation to ornamentals growers whose plants were left to rot with no market when garden centres were closed due to Covid-19.

In a letter to the NFU south of the border, Defra minister Lord Gardiner said offering compensation to garden centres and nurseries would not deliver value for money for the public, and growers should instead access other support measures such as coronavirus business interruption loans.

The union’s horticulture board chairman, Ali Capper, said the impact of the virus would leave many plant growing businesses in debt for years to come.

She questioned Lord Gardiner’s comments about value for money and said the sector was worth £24.2 billion, employed more than 568,000 people and contributed £5.4bn in tax revenue to the Treasury every year.

“At the same time, our key competitors are being given the support that not only helps them survive but gives them the confidence to invest for the future,” added Ms Capper, in reference to a 600 million euro (£539m) aid package being given by the Netherlands government to its growers.

“The Defra decision seems counter intuitive at a time when the UK is looking to take back control and improve the country’s biosecurity.”

NFU Scotland horticulture chairman James Porter described the UK Government’s decision not to provide compensation as “galling”.

He said: “When EU member states that compete with us have been given aid, the lack of it here will weaken our competitiveness and slow our recovery.”

Last month, Nairnshire ornamentals grower Donald Green said lockdown and the closure of garden centres had cost his business around £1m .

Growers have suffered in lockdown with plants left to rot.