Industry leaders have laid down their wish list for government action at a meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Fruit Group in Westminster this week.
Adrian Barlow, chief executive of English Apples & Pears, called on ministers to emphasise to retailers that growers need returns that allow reinvestment, and said the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme should be maintained and extended to older children.
He also called for a resolution on issues surrounding payments to producer organisations and the improvement of tax allowances to give growers more funds for investment.
Berry Gardens chairman Paul Kelsey said the industry needed confirmation that the Seasonal Agricultural Workers’ Scheme would continue, while Peter Gregory, chief executive of East Malling Research, lamented the lack of home-grown agronomists coming through the system.
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