26
THECOMMERCIAL GREENHOUSEGROWER • JULY 2017
• GROWER VISIT
my pocket. AsCommercial Director here I am constantly
closelymonitoring costs. I would say it is now 80%ofmy
job. But thepoint is, if growers don’t get the support there
will be less of them in years to come and that will mean
more foreign inputs and theprice of foodwill go up. If a
glasshouse nursery closes down in this country now there
will be very few that wouldbeprepared to take it over.
It just doesn’t happen like that anymore and the cost of
starting a glasshousebusinesswouldbephenomenal…
it just wouldn’t bepossible. So that iswhy as an industry
we have to findnew anddifferent ways of supportingour
growers,” he says. “We need tobuild aplan not just for
today but for tomorrow and in the future.”
“I have never understoodwhy there has been such a
publicbacklash against buildingnewglasswhen all we
aredoing is producingmore of what theywant. I know
it is difficult and I know abigglasshouse structure isn’t
exactly themost pleasingon the eyebut wedoour best
tobe consideratewith thedesignof them and think about
the impact on the local community. But if there is demand
formore locally grownproduce then the glasshouses have
togo somewhere. Councils andother organisations need
to have a greater understanding that we need tobemore
efficient to survive and thatmeans buildingmodernglass
withmodern infrastructure and technology. Labour is
expensive and is gettingmore sowith the impact of Brexit
and theNational LivingWage.” But isUKSalads feeling
the real effect of the system yet? “Yes of course,” saysMr
Millazo, “we have 175 staff here so it has andwill continue
to have amassive impact.”
ButMrMillazoquestionswhowill help take thepressure
of the glasshouse sector with rising costs. “When you
thinkwhat we have achieved in the sector and the
improvements that havebeenmade including extending
the season at either end to helpprovidemoreUKproduce
but yet nobody is in theposition topaymore for it, it is
really hard to take sometimes especiallywhenwe are
making such amassive commitment to investment,” he
says. “Many years agowe used to receive government
grants.Maybe there is away of introducing them again-it
wouldmake a real difference,” he adds. But would that
ever be realistic again? “Who knows,” he says, but there
does need tobe some support oncewe have finishedwith
Brexit. Everyone in the industry is nervous. I am a very
nervous person right now. I simply don’t knowwhether to
continue to invest at the ratewe are or keep themoney in
Thegreenhouse is coveredwith thermal screens toact as
both insulationoncolder days andalso toprovidecover on
hotter ones.
Utilitybuildingat UKSalads.
This year thecrophasbeen switched tocucumberswhich
was acommercial decisionbasedon thedifference in last
year’s cucumber and tomatoprices.
Qualitycoir isourbusiness
Qualitysaladsareyours
Precision
PLUS
botanicoir.com
Working together for a
sustainable future
Highperformancecoir
forprofessional growers
