F
News
F
T
he
frui
TG
rower
•D
e
C
e
MB
er
2017
George
e
usticeMP has recognised the vital importance of
soil-health and fertility, in amessage delivered tomembers of
ifo
AM (
i
nternational
f
ederation of
o
rganicAgricultural
Movements). TheMinister stated that soil-healthwill sit at the
heart of a future agricultural policy, focused on environmental
improvement.
Locking carbon, reducing ammonia emissions, andmaking
efficient use of manures, were cited as some of the benefits of
reviewing soil management.
i
nspiredby thework of Sir Albert
h
oward, whose pioneeringwork in
i
ndia led to the formation
of theSoil Association,
e
ustice spoke of soil as a complex
ecosystem in needof nurturing, as he discussed his hopes
for a policy that takes lessons from the past whilstmaking
use of modern technology. TheMinister also announced that
D
efr
Awill be looking to the organic sector for knowledge
and techniques that can inspire agricultural policy and
influence awider approach to soils.
h
elenBrowning, C
eo
of theSoil Association, said: “These
are hugelywelcomed comments anddemonstrate that the
value of our soils, their health and critical importance toour
environment, is being recognised at the highest levels. An
acknowledgment of the
need for soil protection
and, in particular, an
acknowledgement of the
lessons tobe learned
fromorganic practices
within agricultural policy,
is somethingwe have
worked hard to secure.
w
e now know that
D
efr
A is committed to
addressing this andwe
look forward to helping
them tobuild a robust
and regenerative
approach to soils going
forward.”
TheSoil Association is committed to increasing soil organic
matter and has outlined a range of ways that agriculture can
adapt and improve toprotect soil health: from natural
fertilisers and rotational cropping, to improvedmonitoring and
methods to reduce compaction.
r
educing soil degradation
and improvingour soil management is vital; nothing couldbe
more important for sustaining healthy foodproduction in the
u
K and globally, andour ability to tackle climate change.
4
“
w
e have topromote improved soil health” –
e
ustice speaks out on soils
NicholasMarston takes over
Chairmanship of British Summer Fruits
At the annual general meeting of BritishSummer
f
ruits in
November, NicholasMarstonwas elected as the new
Chairman, succeeding Laurence
o
lins.
Nicholas is an experienced figurewithin the berry industry,
having successfully leadBerryGardens, the
u
K’s largest berry
production andmarketing group, from1995 to 2017, and
having served actively as a director of BritishSummer
f
ruits
and theSeasonal BerriesCampaign since 1999.
i
n a statement Nicholas said: “
i
amdelighted to take on this
key role on behalf of the industry. BritishSummer
f
ruits and
theSeasonal BerriesCampaign
have been hugely successful in
growing the category and
representing the industry’s
interests, to the benefit of all
growers, marketingbodies and
retailers.
i
will beworking hard to
ensure that wemaintain the great
progresswe have all made since
the inception of the campaign in
the 1990s.
o
n behalf of the
board,
i
would also like to thank
Laurence
o
lins for his hardwork
as past Chairman and towish
himwell on his retirement from
the
u
Kproduce industry”.
B
if
GA T
e
C
h
N
i
CALDAY 2018
The 2018B
if
GA Technical Daywill take place on
w
ednesday
31 January at theDale
h
ill Golf andConferenceCentre,
Ticehurst,
e
ast Sussex. The event will be sponsoredby:
AVALONPRODUCELtd
: Tel: 01892 835001
e
mail:
w
ebsite:
BAYERCROPSCIENCELtd
: Tel: 01223226619
e
mail:
w
ebsite:
THEFRUITGROWER
: Tel: 01622695656
e
mail:
w
ebsite:
The programmewill feature awide range of interesting topics
including: Soil Quest; New top fruit products fromBayer
CropScience; Getting to the heart of thematter; The
authorisation process for pesticides; Challengeswithin the
sales environment; The role of theGroceriesCodeAdjudicator;
A newweevil in pears; andAlternative control methods for tree
diseases.
Thanks to the sponsors, the all-day ticket, which includes
coffee on arrival and lunch, is £35per person. Tickets are
limited in number and are always sold out.
To apply for tickets email:
or
telephone 01892 724540before 17 January 2018.
