Despite rising costs, UK producers willing to invest should be confident of a bright future, according to the chairman of the board for horticulture at the National Farmer’s Union, Richard Hirst.
Hirst said at Re:fresh 2006: “Over 50 per cent of vegetables and 90 per cent of fruit eaten in this country is imported, which means there is a huge opportunity for us.”
He claimed that although UK consumers were not exclusively loyal to home-grown produce, the rising importance attributed to provenance would be increasingly advantageous for the UK sector going forward.
“We obviously can’t replace all imported produce but we want to try and increase our share. There will be an increase in produce marketing and we want to be a part of that,” he added.
But, the current cost structure is not sustainable and further rationalisation is inevitable. “The area of land being farmed has not changed dramatically but there are fewer growers. We are getting to the point where we can’t do much more,” said Hirst. “If people haven’t got the ability to invest in new technology to differentiate themselves they can’t go on and there has to be an increase in price.”
Hirst praised the UK industry’s ability to extend seasons, thanks to technical innovations and the use of polytunnels, which has doubled production time for some items, such as soft fruit. “We want to try and replicate that across the industry,” he said.
But he also called for longer term commitment from customers. Hirst said: “Innovation has pulled us forward and we are in a position to rise to the challenge but what we need is the reassurance that there will be a market in five years’ time.
“Planning production is vitally important so we are not left with surplus crops.”
Despite the worsening pressures of energy costs, recruitment and lowering returns, Hirst claimed the value of UK horticulture ultimately outweighs the setbacks.
As well as the UK having a climate suitable for many fruit and vegetables, the political instability abounding in other producing countries often renders them unreliable suppliers, he said.
