A project in Midlands horticulture is allowing smaller growers to punch outside of their weight division.

The Midlands Regional Growers group has found a way to cut costs by centralising buying processes in the region. 16 companies have just completed two successful buyer fairs, whereby large retailers can view, then purchase what they need as they need it, chatting with suppliers and sizing-up potential stock. The products then usually ship within one week.

“Growers pay around £300 for a stand for the year. Most of that money goes on providing refreshments for the day,” explained Geoff Caesar of Bransford Webbs and vice chair of the group. They have attracted buyers from as far afield as Derby, Peterborough, Bath, Stoke and Cardiff.

The collective’s first show was on February 6, attended by around 100 key buyers. They have just completed their second, and results are promising. Bransford Webb turned over £7,500 in the day.

“I’m not sure anyone else named a figure, but we were happy to crow about how much we’d made, to emphasise the power of the concept,” Caesar said.

The transport for the purchased stock is supplied by logistics company Rick White Ltd.

And the same collective is also banding together for buying purposes - hoping to get better deals by increasing their buying power.

The scheme has enabled a small grower like Newleaf to expand its horizons, becoming a fully-fledged supplier for Wyevale.

As yet, there is no comparable scheme anywhere else in the country. “They’d love to,” adds Caesar. “But it’d be hard work putting it together.”

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