What will be on growers’ new year’s wish list? Here are some of my predictions, goals and aspirations for the coming year:
1. A fresh start for the PO scheme - by February every PO should know its status. After this point there needs to be some serious relationship mending between the administrators and beneficiaries of the scheme and a lessons-learnt exercise. If the UK ever hopes to be as competitive as some of its European counterparts, then we have to crack the recurrent audit problem and use the PO scheme to facilitate much greater levels of collaboration and production efficiency.
2. To achieve an increase in the UK’s self-sufficiency in fruit and vegetables towards the targets set out by the Fruit and Vegetable Task Force. The UK has a large and steadily growing trade deficit in fresh vegetables. Imports have risen virtually every year for a decade, reaching 1.8 million tonnes in 2010, up three per cent on the previous year.
3. Approval for a SAWS scheme for the next decade - it’s welcome news that the current SAWS arrangements have been extended until 2013, but work must begin on putting plans in place for its successor. It’s vital that growers have access to enough labour, and are confident that there won’t be any disruption to the supply of labour after this point.
4. A reform of the Common Agricultural Policy which encourages, rather than penalises, efficient farming and frees the industry to grow, look after the environment and produce the food we need. The current Greening proposals, which specify a three-crop diversification requirement, could be the atomic bomb for specialist producers.
5. A positive outcome from the Sustainable Growing Media Task Force. It is imperative we have an evidence-based strategy, which moves away from targets to eradicate the use of peat, to one which proposes sensible steps to further reduce the amount of peat used in horticulture, tackle biodiversity issues and take carbon emissions into account.
6. A 16th consecutive gold medal at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show! The NFU will again be championing the best of British produce.
7. A positive reaction from retailers, packers and processors to the NFU’s forthcoming report on relationships and margins in the fresh produce supply chain. We hope that the work will spark a constructive industry debate about ways of doing business in horticulture, and provide a genuine catalyst for change.
8. Meaningful progress on the establishment of a GSCOP adjudicator to investigate supplier complaints about the abuse of retail power.
9. Last, but not least, let’s hope for a profitable year for British growers! After recent disappointing farm business income figures
(24 per cent of horticultural businesses failed to turn a profit in 2010), let’s hope that prices improve across the piece, to allow growers to recover costs, invest and turn a decent profit in 2012. -
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