The Royal Horticultural Society is calling on the government to take urgent action to close the skills gap in horticulture.

The society is presenting the Horticulture Matters report to ministers at the House of Commons today to draw attention to the fact that more than 70 per cent of horticultural businesses cannot fill skilled vacancies.The report also outlines that therefore almost 20 per cent of horticulture businesses have to recruit overseas workers and nearly 70 per cent say career entrants are inadequately prepared for work.

The report surveyed 200 horticultural businesses and found what many growers and marketeers have known for some time –that there is an alarming shortage of skilled professionals in UK horticulture that threatens the economy, environment and food security.

The society has chosen this week to present the report - which was commissioned jointly with the British Growers Association, the Institute of Horticulture, the Horticultural Trades Association and the sector skills council Lantra - as media attention builds before the Chelsea Flower Show next week.

Sue Biggs, director general of the RHS said growing concern across the whole industry about the skills crisis has galvanised this unified call for government action. “We’ve brought together Britain’s leading horticultural organisations to create this report.

“We are unanimous in the belief that there must now be urgent action to save British horticulture and it must happen now. Our report calls on the government, employers and those in the education system to take action to safeguard the critical role that horticulture plays in Britain today.'

The report includes pledges of investment and commitment from the industry but also calls on the government to play its part and embed horticulture in the national curriculum and prioritise it within research funding.

Biggs said: “This report isn't an unrealistic wish list of measures…Within the report there are solutions that both the horticultural industry and government could embrace to safeguard the critical role that horticulture plays in Britain today and must continue to play in the future. We must act now to safeguard the critical role horticulture plays in Britain today and must continue to play in the future.”

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