Agriculture ministers from England, Scotland and Wales have agreed that the Horticultural Development Council (HDC) should continue in its present role as the body charged with commissioning research and development for the horticultural industry.
The decision follows the latest statutory review of the HDC which included an economic evaluation, a consultation with the horticultural industry, a poll of levy payers and an organisational options review.
The new term for the Council would normally be five years.
However, as part of the government's Rural Strategy 2004, Defra will commission a wider independent review on the future of levy-funded bodies.
Issues the review will consider include:
• the extent to which levy-funded organisations and functions remain appropriate
• whether a levy should be retained
• whether existing bodies might be merged.
Larry Whitty, Defra minister for farming and food, said:
"The HDC has done valuable work over the past five years to provide horticultural research and development which is relevant to the industry's needs.
"The forthcoming review of levy bodies may have implications for the HDC but in the meantime I am pleased to confirm Defra's support for the continuation of it's work."
HDC chairman Colin Harvey said: "It's good news for the HDC, but particularly, it's good news for the horticulture industry. Growers can now look forward to continued stability in the R&D commissioned to help their businesses.
"[I am] very encouraged by the strong support for the HDC shown by the industry during the consultation period of the review. It represents a clear endorsement of the work HDC has done over recent years to improve the profitability of growers and it’s a very positive mandate for us to go ahead with the ambitious plans we set out in our most recent corporate plan.”
Whitty also announced a review of the opportunities for the various levy-funded organisations serving horticulture and agriculture to work more closely together. Harvey said: “We. ., are already working more closely together. We have had an Applied Research Forum, involving a number of levy boards, running since last April. We have already been involved with several issues feeding into the government’s strategic R&D programme. We are strongly in favour of any moves which provide a greater delivery of service to the horticultural industry.”
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