Horticulture under threat claims farmer
A West Sussex farmer has expressed concerns over the future of the horticulture industry as soaring costs have meant some of the UK’S leadings businesses in the sector have shelved plans for growth.
Commissionedbythenationalfarmers’union(nfu),thenew report by Promar International found that costs of production have increased by as much as 39 percentinthepasttwoyears.key inputsincludingenergycostsrising by 218 per cent, fertiliser by 47percentandlabourcostsby24 per cent are shown to be behind the hike.
The crops impacted most by these increases include much of the UK’S favourite fruit and vegetables such as strawberries, tomatoes, apples and lettuce. The report also warned these production costs, along with the impacts of the ongoing global volatility, are seen as the ‘new normal’ and businesses aren’t expectingthesituationtochange any time soon.
Martin Emmett, director of Tristram Plants which has nurseries in Barnham, Yapton and Eastergateandwhoisnfuhorticultureandpotatoesboardchair, said:“iamseriouslyconcernedto hearfromgrowerstheyarethinkingaboutcuttingproductionthis comingseasonwhiletheycontinue to face uncertainty with costs, uncertainty around a long-term plan for where their workforce will come from and increasingly challengingrelationshipswithin their supply chain.
“We are now facing the third yearofunprecedentedandhighly volatile costs of production, coupled with ongoing uncertainty about the availability of permanentandseasonalworkforceand supply chains that return little value back to growers.
“Growers are doing everything they can to make sure the supply of homegrown fruit and vegetables are on supermarket shelves, but as highlighted in the report, there is likely to be further consolidation in productionanddistribution.ifpressures continue as they are, it will be unsustainable for some businesses.
“While it is positive that the Government consultation into the horticulture supply chain hasnowopened,manybusinesses are continuing to face difficult customerrelationshipswithprolonged contract negotiations, and contract planning cycles out of sync with production cycles, making it tough for growers to planlong-termfortheirbusinesses. This needs to change.”