Horticultural Research International (HRI) staff and four Defra representatives visited the packhouses of Bedfordshire growers in September to increase their awareness of issues affecting the vegetable industry.

The group attended workshops, as well as witnessing the treatment of onions and salad crops in the packhouse and onion harvesting.

HRI vegetable commodity specialist Brian Smith, who organised the day, said: 'The visit helped both HRI and Defra to see how things work at the sharp-end, and, hopefully, the industry can also benefit from talking to scientists informally on their own patch.' HRI also announced it is to host the joint BGA/HDC/HRI Brassica Conference on January 16 2002, sponsored by Elsoms Seeds Ltd.

The event will be held at HRI's headquarters, and will cover a range of topics, including pests, pesticides, harvesting and promotion.

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