David Shapley
The horticultural industry needs to emerge from the shadow of agriculture, according to MP Michael Jack.
The former Conservative minister for agriculture, speaking at the British Tomato Grower Association's conference, called for a single representative organisation for horticulture.
He said such a body would be able to lobby the government more effectively as well as build a more impactful image with consumers who only associate the sector with flowers and plants.
Jack valued the industry at £150m, producing 100,000 tonnes and employing at least 3,500 people, and said it had a record of increasing efficiency, producing new varieties and cutting costs that could match any sector in the UK economy.
He said horticulture had lived under the shadow of agriculture for too long. "The NFU has found it hard to keep horticulture in the limelight, although it has been trying desperately to find a way."
He said the platform on which to establish a new body was already available through voluntary specialist sector organisations such as the BTGA.
Others included lettuce growers and several brassica and root crop associations.
Soft fruit and apples and pears have already built strong and effective structures, Jack said. Apart from benefiting from a higher profile and a unified voice, Jack also suggested growers would gain greater strength when dealing with the multiples. "It could help stem the tide of pressure from powerful buyers, some of whom have given indications they are abandoning the industry."
The pressures facing British tomato growers have been demonstrated by the UK's largest grower, Humber VHB, being forced to restructure.
It accounts for about 40% of tomato production, as well as substantial volumes of cucumbers and potted herbs and has 450 acres of nurseries in the UK, Spain and Portugal. Group chairman Roger Sayer admitted overheads had been too high.
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The horticultural industry needs to emerge from the shadow of agriculture, according to MP Michael Jack.
The former Conservative minister for agriculture, speaking at the British Tomato Grower Association's conference, called for a single representative organisation for horticulture.
He said such a body would be able to lobby the government more effectively as well as build a more impactful image with consumers who only associate the sector with flowers and plants.
Jack valued the industry at £150m, producing 100,000 tonnes and employing at least 3,500 people, and said it had a record of increasing efficiency, producing new varieties and cutting costs that could match any sector in the UK economy.
He said horticulture had lived under the shadow of agriculture for too long. "The NFU has found it hard to keep horticulture in the limelight, although it has been trying desperately to find a way."
He said the platform on which to establish a new body was already available through voluntary specialist sector organisations such as the BTGA.
Others included lettuce growers and several brassica and root crop associations.
Soft fruit and apples and pears have already built strong and effective structures, Jack said. Apart from benefiting from a higher profile and a unified voice, Jack also suggested growers would gain greater strength when dealing with the multiples. "It could help stem the tide of pressure from powerful buyers, some of whom have given indications they are abandoning the industry."
The pressures facing British tomato growers have been demonstrated by the UK's largest grower, Humber VHB, being forced to restructure.
It accounts for about 40% of tomato production, as well as substantial volumes of cucumbers and potted herbs and has 450 acres of nurseries in the UK, Spain and Portugal. Group chairman Roger Sayer admitted overheads had been too high.
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