During tough times it’s reassuring to hear about stories of investment and collaboration.

This week, Greenery UK announced plans to build two new tomato glasshouses in a deal that sees it collaborate both with growers and resource management company Sita UK (see page 8).

The tomato production sector hasn’t had the easiest of times of late, with a number of players struggling to keep their heads above water, but deals like this will provide a fillip to the industry and a much-needed boost in domestic production.

The focus on energy efficiency is essential in a sector where heating cost rises can be the difference between producers making a profit or a loss, and the associated environmental benefits will resonate well with both customers and consumers.

We need to see more projects like this, and that means support from both local and national government in terms of planning permission, and sympathetic banks willing to lend the capital needed for such initiatives.

Only with all the conditions in place can the industry be expected to grow. —