The British Growers Association (BGA) might have only been around in its current incarnation since 2012, but what it lacks in history it certainly makes up for in scope and momentum. The new kid on the trade association block has extended its reach substantially over its short lifespan and now encompasses a wider range of activities across the market than most would realise.
British Growers, as it’s more commonly branded these days, describes itself as “a grower-owned and grower-led umbrella group comprising a range of organisations operating in the UK horticulture industry and fresh produce sector”, with members including crop associations and producer organisations. It’s that core membership of 24 separate organisations that chief executive Jack Ward stresses differentiates it from the likes of the NFU (individual members) and Fresh Produce Consortium (company members).
Developed out of what was the Processed Vegetable Growers Association – an organisation based in Louth, Lincolnshire which managed a range of veg-sector crop associations – British Growers now encompasses a surprising number of groups, from the Asparagus and Carrot Growers Associations to British Onions, Plant Propagators and British Summer Fruits. Further additions are on the cards.
“Because we have daily, weekly, monthly contact with that spread of organisations across the fresh produce industry, there is an opportunity to be a bit of a focal point for UK horticulture,” Ward explains. “We can go into a lot more detail than other organisations and have a fairly detailed insight into what the issues are for each of the organisations that we look after.”
Some 44 per cent of British Growers’ £700,000 revenue comes from POs, with 37 per cent from crop associations and 14 per cent from market intelligence services. British Growers essentially carries out the day-to-day administrative work for those organisations, as well as offering strategic advice to help them progress and flying the flag for the big issues. It can also handle PR, organise conferences and even offer legal advice, where desired.
The aim is to add value for members, save them from hiring their own admin staff and promote opportunities for UK horticulture, with surpluses created through its commercial activities – such as its retail analysis service ProduceView – reinvested in promoting the success of the sector. “It’s actually quite a neat way for a lot of companies to share administration,” Ward adds. The watchword might be collaboration, but it’s also practicality and common sense.
If there were any sense that the arrival of British Growers on the scene could mean stepping on the toes of other organisations, Ward is quick to play that down. “[Our aims are] very much in conjunction with other organisations,” he insists. “We are not looking to displace the NFU, and we work very closely with them, push stuff backwards and forwards to them, and generally when it comes to political lobbying that is what they do. We will quite often prepare stuff, give it to the NFU and they will use it in their discussions. We work hard in conjunction with them.”
The NFU will also tend to focus on the cross-industry big issues such as labour, supermarkets, crop protection and so on, giving British Growers opportunity to look into crop-specific topics on a research as well as production level. That’s particularly useful on some of the smaller crops that struggle to get noticed among the major categories.
British Growers has come quite a long way in a short time, with Ward personally building up a significant profile in the industry. So what’s next in the masterplan? “It’s about building our finance base and our membership, which then builds our services, which builds our ability to play a bigger and more effective role in the success of UK horticulture,” he explains.
For the year ahead, Ward wants to continue to develop the capability and capacity of the British Growers team, expand with new members, build the organisation’s reputation further, boost communications with stakeholders and look for new opportunities for ProduceView. The latter objective has already received a fillip with the capture of industry stalwart Peter Durose, who is helping refresh the service and give it new direction.
Ward, who was speaking before last week’s general election, believes that British horticulture has a great opportunity in its hands. “We are never going to be 100 per cent in some of the areas, but we could be much higher than we are at the moment,” he says. “But even if we were a bit higher, that’s a terrific opportunity for either the existing companies or new ones, so there’s a big question about what needs to be done in order to increase the UK’s share of the market.”
And that’s about confidence and support, he adds. There are concerns around loss of plant protection products, the future of POs and seasonal labour – issues accentuated by Brexit – but Ward wants UK horticulture to be at the heart of the future British food strategy. Reducing risk and costs will be central, alongside ensuring that productivity is allowed to flourish.
Understandably, he also wants the UK government to replace lost EU PO cash post-Brexit – perhaps even extending the scheme – and believes the producer organisation model drives collaboration and innovation, as well as doubling the payback on the investment.
A keen rower in a boat of four, Ward knows all about the importance of working together and rowing in the same direction. If the industry continues to do the same, it is well placed to navigate the choppy waters ahead and enter a new period of growth.
