A report has been released calling for the Producer Organisation (PO) scheme to be saved when Britain leaves the EU to help British growers stay competitive.
Since the Brexit referendum there have been concerns in the industry that the scheme, through which growers group together and receive match-funding support from government, will be abolished come March 2019.
In a bid to prevent this from happening, British Growers, together with Savills, have released a report urging government to retain PO investment, by highlighting the benefits it has brought to the fresh produce industry.
These include giving growers confidence to invest; helping improve productivity; improving production planning; facilitating investment in the latest technology and varieties; and encouraged the use of environmentally sound practices.
The absence of an effective scheme “would put British growers at a distinct disadvantage to their counter-parts within the EU,” warned British Growers CEO Jack Ward.
Launching the report at the Fruit Focus trade event in East Malling, Ward said: “The report came out of a meeting of leading players from fresh produce who were looking at the implications of Brexit 12 months ago.
“We are calling for the key principles of the current scheme to be retained and at the heart of the scheme is the concept of match-funding. We also need a single scheme that covers all of the devolved governments with similar operating rules.
“And we’re also suggesting there needs to be a joint industry-government review of the scheme and how it can be improved to deliver better clarity and reduce the administrative burden on both parties.”
In addition, the report seeks to demonstrate how an improved PO scheme could fulfill each of the government’s five principles for the future of agri-food: global demand, productivity and competition, sustainability, trust and resilience.
“We have a number of compelling case studies that demonstrate how the PO Scheme has worked to improve marketing, innovation and collaboration in the industry,” said Ward.
“It is no exaggeration to say that some key sectors in fresh produce would not be where they are without successful POs. Without a scheme, it is difficult to see how UK growers can compete and negotiate successfully in one of the most competitive market places in the world.”
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