3
F
EBRUARY 2017
•
THECOMMERCIALGREENHOUSEGROWER • FEBRUARY 2017
CONTENTS
News 4 – 7
Royal opening for LeaValley glasshouse 4
NFU urgeGovernment on labour 4
Code adjudicator amust for ornamentals 5
Stockbridge LED study 6
New faces at Fargro&Modiform 7
Cyclamen for the outdoormarket 8–11
Pots & trays offer added value 12–15
Nursery visit toVolmary 16
Technology update 18-21
Classified 22-23
Comment
The industry has come far under theGroceryCode
Adjudicator. The recent statutory reviewwill nodoubt help
shape theway forward for it in the future. The results so far
speak for themselves but as a sector we need to continue to
showour support.
The adjudicator survey results from2016 have highlighted
the progress it has beenmaking in changing cultural
behaviours of retailerswith their suppliers. It also shows that
the principles of ‘fair dealing’ are being adhered to on amore
frequent basis. The survey results report that the
proportion of
supplierswith issues fell from70% in 2015 to62% in 2016,
with Tesco and Iceland reported asmost improved.While that
is not amassive decrease, it is a big step in the right
direction.
Moving forward theGovernment, and indeed the sector as a
whole, needs to ensure it gives its full backing to the
Grocery
CodeAdjudicator.While progress has beenmade, there is still
work todo and the industry needs an adjudicator ‘with teeth’
tomake surewe create a healthy environment for growers
and suppliers todobusinesswith retailers in the future.
Growers can only succeed atmaintaining and improving
domestic production if they are dealt with in a fair way. The
NFU says the core principles of s
ustainability, risk
management and volatilitymanagementmust be central to
development in the food supply chain and for British farming
businesses to thrive, and it is right. The adjudicator has a big
role toplay in this.
The proposal to extend the adjudicator’s remit to include
ornamental horticulture in the future shouldbe considered as
a natural progression.Why shouldn’t ornamental growers be
afforded the protection that other growers have?
While a statutory reviewwill always examine costs andways
of working, it is clear the adjudicator needs tobe givenmore
powers tobe evenmore effective. The sector also needs to
consider the effect recent consolidation in the supply chain
has on suppliers. This can lead to a decrease in competition
and as a result an increase in buyingpower for some
suppliers but a power imbalance in the sector as awhole. In
the past this has alsomeant the temptation topass unfair
tradingpractices onto suppliers is likely to increase. Soby
giving the adjudicatormore powers to cover andprotect a
broader range of the supply chain, thewhole sector will see
significant progress in these areas andmany others in the
future.
Front cover
LED lighting is becomingmore affordable says Ross Hibbs,
aDirector at CambridgeHOK. See Technology update page 18
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