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THECOMMERCIAL GREENHOUSEGROWER • JULY 2017
Front cover - ArcadiaChrysanthemums • Seepage 17
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COMMENT
It is hard to find something else towrite about other than the election at the
moment. But the fact is thepolitical landscape is changingonce again and
there is a newSecretary of State responsible for theUK’s farming industry.
Labour is the sector’s biggest challenge at themoment not only from a cost
point of viewbut the availability of seasonal workers onceBrexit is complete.
Surely a return to amore flexibleSAWS type scheme is the onlyway forward
in the future?
In anopen letter to the newSecretary of State,Michael Gove, NFUPresident,
MeurigRaymond, urged theGovernment to support BritishFarming in
a number of ways. In its ownmanifesto it calls for fivemain areas tobe
addressed:makingBrexit a success for British farmers; investing for growth;
safeguarding short, fair and secure food chains; placing science at the heart
of policymaking; and caring for our countryside and rural communities.
Mr Raymondmakes thepoint that British farms grow the raw ingredients for
theUK food anddrinkmanufacturing sector, theUK’s largestmanufacturing
sector, worth£109billion andproviding3.8million jobs. He also says that the
industrywants todelivermore and that is perhaps themost important point
to focus on here. But how can the glasshouse sector delivermore volumes of
producewhenplanning regulations havemade it sodifficult toget planning
permissionpassed for newglass?Most of the larger glasshouse growers
we have spoken to recently are investing upwards of £1million a year just to
remain efficient and effective. This is against abackdropof rising costs such
as theNational LivingWage and, although the last two years havebeenmore
manageable, several rises in energy prices over the last decade. There is also
thewithdrawal of key plant protectionproductswith fewoptions in terms of
alternatives. So, costs for growers have continued to rise alongside other
issues, but whowill pay for this and create an environment where growers
canproducemore?The supermarkets are still in themiddle of a long-term
pricewar so are unlikely topaymore for their supplieswhether it isBritish
or not. Sure, growers can absorb the costs themselves, but thatmeans they
cannot invest asmuchback into their businesses and so you have a never
ending vicious circlewithno real vision as to how these challengeswill be
met. It is this that needs tobe topofMichael Gove’s list when he starts
work. Growers in the horticultural sector have survivedwithout subsidy
payments forever, soperhaps support couldbe shown in adifferent way
whenGovernment sets about planning for Brexit anddelivers a new vision for
farming in the future.
TheCommercial GreenhouseGrower is amember of the Independent Press
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JULY 2017 •
CONTENTS
News
4-7
Flower Trials
8-10
GrowingMedia
11-13
Automation
14-16
Nursery Visits
17-19
OptimisingLabour
20-21
DutchGreenhouses
22-24
Grower Visit
24-26
Classified
27
Sept 5-6
th
2017
Tel: +44 (0)1477 571392 Email:
The UK’s Premier show
for Ornamental Horticulture
