The NFU meeting was in follow up to its formal response to a Defra consultation document on the five-yearly review of Horticulture Research International (HRI) and part of the union's Keep Horticulture Growing campaign launched in February.

The high-level delegation included president Ben Gill, vice-president Michael Paske and horticulture executive chairman Michael Holmes.

They told the Defra team that the industry's poor economic situation restricts its ability to fund the research and development vital to its survival.

'We wanted the Defra team to recognise the huge contribution horticulture makes to the rural economy in terms of employment and that in recent years it has taken immense strides to improve the environmental impact of growing practices,' said Holmes.

'We made it clear in the meeting that government cannot continue to underestimate the importance of the British horticulture industry and must make a firm commitment to support HRI and its valuable work to ensure the UK maintains its reputation as [a] world leader in horticultural R&D.' Some £4million has been cut from the HRI budget in the last five years, reducing it by 31 per cent.

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