UK horticulture in my view, has lived for far too long under the shadow of its bigger agricultural cousins involved in livestock, dairy and cereals. As far as the national press and even government is concerned it has often been an also ran.

So the announcement last week on the eve of Horticulture in Focus that the National Farmers’ Union is launching its first manifesto for the sector should at the very least revive some idealism.

While not wishing to second guess the strategy, its future success - as in the past with all trade associations - will ultimately be measured by the practical, as distinct from political benefits, of its undertakings.

The common sounding board envisaged by the union to identify and act on subjects such as pesticide use, employment, waste and energy is not new - but a single specialist voice should make it resonate more strongly.

This in turn could be the common denominator to create closer links with the several crop associations that appear to be perfectly capable of looking after their own affairs.

Nevertheless, I feel it may be harder for the union to make headway towards its other defined goals quantified as expanding the market, and building on the platform of 5-a-day promotions.

I say this simply because the former is a commercial operation. So it is hard to see what influence the NFU can bring to bear when most growers are already either directly or indirectly firmly locked into category management schemes with the major multiples.

Promotion on the other hand is a heady draught, which history shows has to be drunk very carefully.

Horticulture has never had vast sums to spend either by sector or collectively, and in most instances when a clarion call comes, the results have not lived up to expectations. The main weakness has been the voluntary nature of such schemes when they are self-funding.

Times have also changed and I wonder if there is any spare cash around. While multiples constantly press suppliers to make substantial contributions as part of their partnership arrangements, government pours millions into schemes which only last month stretched as far as providing not just free fruit for infant-school children, but vouchers to some parents for vegetables too. Anything less hardly scratches the surface.