Our industry bears striking resemblances to the dairy industry - the total scale and employment numbers of the two sectors are equally similar - and many of the frustrations felt by UK milk producers might well ring true with British growers. However let us not end up in the same situation the dairy world currently experiences.
There is no benefit in growers, packers and retailers being at loggerheads. There is every benefit for all links of the value chain to maturely look for continuous improvement and substantive reform.
Government support and backing may also assist in addressing the imbalances, helping us to build a sustainable industry structure. Longevity and security is important in attracting the best talent from the widest pool, looking for careers in an exciting and diverse arena.
British farming has undoubtedly begun to enjoy a resurgence in the levels of positive interaction with consumers through increased media exposure, because British growers have a great story to tell.
Horticulture is a highly sophisticated, scientifically progressive and technically complex industry. Farmers are at the forefront of renewable energy production and employ great ingenuity to provide solutions that are economically, socially and environmentally responsible. All this against a backdrop of needing to produce more from less and in an aggressive, competitive marketplace. The employment and gross value added contribution provided by the industry to the nation is significant.
Therefore surely now must be the time to capitalise on the burgeoning interest from consumers and press alike. Although the world of horticultural food production is by no means a perfect place - with imbalances across the value chain and risk/reward scales rarely reflecting the relative positions - it is incumbent upon us all to get a clear and united message across to consumers about our industry and all the efforts that go into producing tasty, safe and healthy food.
In this year, especially, we need our consumers to understand why British growing is so vital. UK food security, the quality of British-grown produce and the importance with which growers regard the environmental impacts of their businesses, are all crucial for us to explain. The efficiency of production and the relative value of our final product are cornerstones of our industry which we need to highlight, and for which growers need to earn a fair reward in return for their investments.
The UK horticultural industry must lead the way in demonstrating itself to be a vibrant manufacturing sector and contributing, with an ever-growing significance, to the nation’s health, wealth and long-term sustainability. -
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