The Higgs family, which has been growing tomatoes in Guernsey for the UK market during the past three generations, are pulling out of the trade.

Nigel Higgs has decided to call it a day because his organic fruit has failed to find a profitable market in Britain.

At one time the Higgs family ran 10,000ft of glass all in tomato production, but this has dwindled to 900ft. Despite this, some fruit exported to the UK this year still had to be dumped.

Higgs said: “The family business, like that of all growers, flourished in the 1950s and 1960s, but in the late 1970s there was a massive surge in the price of oil and increased competition, particularly from Holland, just grew and grew.

“At the same time there was a move away from wholesale markets to supermarkets. This squeezed prices down and made growers look for specialist tomato crops in order to find niche markets.”

During this period the Higgs were forced to sell most of their nurseries, but like other stalwart growers, the Higgs persevered, eventually switching to organic crops. In the end Nigel Higgs was growing cherry vine tomatoes organically.

David Miller, president of the Guernsey Growers’ Association, has paid tribute to the Higgs family. He said they have made an outstanding contribution to the industry. “They were part of an era that has almost disappeared,” Miller said.

It is not only tomato growers in Guernsey that are finding trading difficult. Some flower growers, the number of which has dropped dramatically, have complained of disappointing returns, and export figures of cut flowers are expected to show a further reduction this year on 2003.

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