Sitting in on a very well-attended biennial conference at the East of England Showground in Peterborough for two days, I came away with a great deal of respect for our UK onion and carrot growers.

Despite the fact that some of the presentations were so technical I found it difficult to understand the questions that followed, let alone the answers, I could tell at least that both sectors remain remarkably confident.

Remarkable indeed, given that drought or lashing rain made growing conditions over the past two seasons something that most delegates would prefer to forget. But there has been much happening on the plus side that continues to reflect the resilience within horticulture.

Voluntarily funded public relations campaigns have been able to transform the images of what were regarded as somewhat mundane commodities, into crops identified as having wider health appeal.

Market research into retail performance, now an integral part of producer marketing, showed delegates their messages were hitting home in terms of increased sales, both in volume and value. However, without wishing to dissipate the euphoria, when it comes to an improvement in growers’ returns, the situation seems to be far more complicated.

Certainly, public relations activity can play a part in sending out a positive message, not just to “buy or try,” but also to give a balanced response to any negative aspects seized on by the media. But it is the quality and the availability of the crop that will remain the deciding factor.

One of the carrot growers’ successes is that not only are varieties such as Chantenay being made available as something special, but the range has been expanded with convenience snacks such as carrot batons. And next up will be vitamin enhancement. It is already in the pipeline; all that remains is for breeders to do their stuff.

Growers’ experiences of the onion market this season are another excellent example of market forces. Fears of a short crop during the summer led to a surge in prices as retailers, my spies in the audience told me, reached a point where they were concerned that programmes could not be fulfilled. While a subsequent Indian summer helped allay fears, there is still concern over whether there will be sufficient good-quality bulbs in store to last until the spring, so the momentum has continued, with the market already attracting attention from the southern hemisphere.

Meanwhile, looking forward, there could be some long-term changes on the way when growers will be able to establish the exact status of the crop through flavour analysis, both accurately and cheaply. Such an additional specification will further enhance the product, and hopefully contribute towards an additional premium.

While good PR can play its part, and is now a far cry from the tens of thousands of pounds that in my view have been wasted over the years, UK growers also really have a grip on the combination of factors that is required for their future survival.

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