British tomato growers are looking to build on momentum created by the London 2012 effect to increase value in their sector.
That was the message from the British Tomato Growers Association (TGA) conference held in Coventry last Thursday.
TGA chairman Phil Morley said: “We heard that one of the biggest sticking points for growers is planning and that it is getting increasingly difficult to get planning permission to put up new glass. There is a lot of optimism in the industry; there is demand for British tomatoes and we want to keep the momentum generated by the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, the Olympic and Paralympic Games going, to keep that demand going and also to get people to understand why they should buy British tomatoes.”
Delegates heard from NFU chief horticulture and potato adviser Hayley Campbell-Gibbons that the NFU is lobbying hard on the planning issue and she also updated them on the union’s Catalyst for Change report, launched over the summer.
Rob Holdway of Giraffe Innovation excited the sector with his presentation on how British tomatoes can take advantage of the interest in branded goods and their growth in the UK and underpinning the value of their product.
There were also energy updates on costs, taxes and market opportunities from Chris Plackett of Farm Energy and Rob van Leeuwen of Jules Energy, as well as a new greener option for tomato growers with CO2 enrichment from biomass energy plants in a presentation delivered by Nick ten Asbroek of Procede Gas Treating BV.
And in the afternoon sessions Martin McPherson of Stockbridge Technology Centre spoke of control in protected crops, Roma Gwynn from Biorationale gave her insights into the potential of bio-pesticides for tomato IPM and Rob Jacobson talked about his revolutionary work at RJC Ltd in controlling tuta absoluta.
The event was one of the most successful ever for the TGA as 138 guests gathered at the event’s dinner to hear former chairman Gerry Hayman’s retirement speech and 170 delegates attended the conference itself where industry stalwart Bernard Sparkes was also honoured with a presentation on his retirement.
