There are now too many small and underfunded R&D organisations in the UK, due to continuing government cutbacks in horticultural research funding.
That view was put forward by HDC chairman Colin Harvey, speaking at last week’s AIPH congress in Brighton.
Harvey said: “We will have to look at our whole R&D capability in both horticulture and agriculture and think in terms of crop science, to include cereal and potato research facilities too.”
Harvey went on to say that there was a major opportunity to look at international co-operation and joint projects with the EU. “We are not there yet but the HDC has already been involved with some co-operation with research in Holland and France.”
Congress delegate, former president of the Institute of Horticulture, David Miller, endorsed Harvey’s views on rationalising R&D facilities and co-operation.
Charles Carr, a grower from Lowaters Nursery and an HDC levy payer, was more cautious, as he felt growers would need reassurance that levy money invested by UK growers would not benefits competitors abroad unless foreign growers were equally involved in the funding of the research.
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