Fears that horticulture has been excluded from the NFU's 'A Better Return - It Can be Done' session on the first of the Union's two day annual conference taking place next week (February 6/7) have been dismissed by Vice President Michael Paske.

He told the Journal: 'The path already taken by horticulture will be used to demonstrate the way forward for the Meat, Dairy and Cereal industries. The Horticulture industry has a record of achievement of which it can be proud and can show the route ahead for the other sectors within agriculture'.

Also subject to discussions at the conference will be the NFU's opinion of the Food and Farming Commission's Report, published on Tuesday. The report's author Sir Don Curry will be speaking at the event, as will Margaret Beckett, Defra's secretary of state.

A horticultural surgery, chaired by Michael Holmes, will take place at 6.30 next Thursday morning.