Fruit Focus panel urges government to tackle labour shortages, energy costs and SPS transition as work continues on eagerly anticipated growth strategy
Horticulture industry leaders have renewed calls for government action to remove barriers to growth, warning that reforms on labour, energy costs and trade will be essential if the Horticulture Sector Growth Plan is to succeed.
The calls came during a panel discussion, led by NFU senior policy specialist Christine McDowell, at the Fruit Focus technical event, which celebrated its 40th anniversary on 8 July at Bradbourne House in East Malling, Kent.
Panellists said the plan must focus on ensuring competitiveness while identifying opportunities for new investment. And the NFU launched a survey encouraging members to share their views to help shape the plan.
Ali Capper, chair of British Apples and Pears, said: “The reality is that our sector in the UK is uncompetitive, primarily because of a list of government policy, and that has to be fixed.
“This is a really exciting entrepreneurial sector. But we can’t do it when we’ve got our hands tied behind our back by various government policies that make us uncompetitive.”
Labour demands
Seasonal labour was identified as one of the industry’s biggest immediate challenges. Nick Marston, chairman of British Berry Growers, said the sector had the potential to increase UK berry production by as much as 50 per cent over the next decade, provided businesses could secure a reliable workforce.
“The first thing is labour; without labour we will not have a horticultural industry, and without visas we will not have labour.”
Marston called for the Seasonal Workers Scheme to be replaced with a rolling five-year scheme, alongside extending visas to a nine-month period.
“We know that overseas workers are essential to our industry, accounting for 98 or 99 per cent of the harvest labour workforce in UK horticulture, particularly the berry industry.”
While a proportion of the workforce does have settled status, he noted, an increasing proportion of workers are coming from further afield, such as Central and South Asia. The number of workers arriving with six-month visas rose from 39,000 in 2025 to 42,000 in 2026.
Marston also argued the scheme should be removed from wider politicised debates around immigration. “It’s not immigration,” he said. “All these people come for the length of their visas and virtually all of them go home.”
Energy cost pressures
High energy costs remain one of the biggest barriers to growth for protected cropping businesses, according to Simon Conway, chair of the British Tomato Growers Association.
Conway said growers had hit a “brick wall” following increases in standing electricity charges of around a 65 per cent from 1 April.
“We’ve estimated the seven largest sites we’ve got face a liability of about £7-8 million,” he said.
The association is now working with MPs across all political parties to press for a more localised charging model for glasshouse businesses.
Despite the challenges, Conway added that there remained significant opportunity to expand UK production of tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers, with Britain currently 20 per cent self-sufficient.
SPS transition
Panellists also called for greater clarity over the implementation of the forthcoming UK-EU sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement. The full terms of the agreement are expected to be announced in October, with implementation anticipated in 2027.
The crop association chairs urged government for a gradual, three-year transition period, rather than a “hard stop”. ”We need transition period visibility, so the whole supply chain have a line of sight,” added Conway.
Alternative PO scheme
John Walgate, chief executive of the British Growers Association, also called for the introduction of a new producer organisation (PO) scheme following the closure of the Fruit & Veg Aid scheme at the end of 2025.
He argued that the scheme did a lot to support cooperatives, and that alternative support would be required to ensure British growers are on a level playing field. “[The scheme] worked really well, and we can’t see the logic in losing it. Reform would have been the right thing, not to lose it,” he said.
“We would ideally like to see a new version of that producer organisation scheme be brought in. If we don’t, then we were promised an alternative scheme, and let’s hope we see it in investment in infrastructure, research and development.”
Potential for devolution
With Andy Burnham set to take over from Keir Starmer as PM, Capper said an agenda based around devolution could provide opportunities for growth but requires local representation.
“I think devolution could be an opportunity, but I think it’s hard as most of the businesses we’re representing are rural,” said Capper.
Lincolnshire, which recently announced a £52mn devolution budget, was highlighted as an example of a county that had developed the necessary urban systems, but replicating that model across other regions would require significant effort and investment.
“It’s going to take growers and businesses to get involved and step up onto those local boards,” she continued.
The panel concluded by stressing the importance of presenting a strong, evidence-backed case to Defra to help it negotiate with other government departments on the industry’s behalf.
