Author Archives: Richard

European organic association formed

A new European association for traders and processors of organics has been formed. The Organic Processing and Trade Association (OPTA) was inaugurated in Milan, Italy on 7 June with five initial board members from four countries.

“The goal of our association is to empower the progress of organic food and farming in Europe in close cooperation with our customers, the organic farmers and other parts of the organic chain,” explained Volkert Engelsman, general manager of Eosta, one of the new members of the board. “The organic food and agricultural system with its strong values is best equipped to lead the transition to a more sustainable food system. The current system of food production, which is driven by externalising costs, is a dead-end. The OPTA will encourage the sustainable innovation and quality development of organic products, based on the principles of the organic movement: ecology, health, care and fairness. We need a powerful supply chain with active processors and trade companies to build a future-proof food and agricultural system in Europe.”

The new organisation, which has 15 founding members, says that it will work closely with existing national and European lobby organisations, as well as the European branch of the international organic umbrella organisation IFOAM.

Photo Credit: OPTA

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Opportunity for strawberry growers to see latest breeding

The latest selections from the East Malling Strawberry Breeding Club will be on display to growers at an EMR Association/AHDB Horticulture walk at NIAB East Malling Research on 8 June.

According to organisers, the event represents a great opportunity for growers to experience this year’s most promising performers from the breeding club, with an opportunity to view and taste the most interesting new selections from the programme.

The event will also give growers a chance to provide feedback on the lines and ultimately will help choose which lines move on to commercial release to the industry. In conjunction with project SF 096a, the key aim of the Strawberry Breeding Club is to breed varieties to the highest standard, with overlapping seasons, high yields, high pest and disease resistance and greater picking efficiency to reduce labour costs.

Photo Credit: Pexels

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EU to simplify rules of Producer Organisations

New European legislation governing fruit and vegetable Producer Organisations (POs) has come into force, promising ‘simpler rules, a reduced administrative burden and greater financial support in times of crisis.’

One of the aims of the new rules is to make POs more attractive to non-members, something which could worry current UK organisations which currently face an uncertain future after Brexit and which are worried about potential unfair levels of support compared to their European neighbours.

According to the latest available figures, there were around 1 500 POs covering 50% of the EU fruit and vegetables production. Since the Russian embargo in August 2014, the EU provided fruit and vegetable growers with €442 million in extra funding. The European Commission also provides additional funding for POs of about €700 million every year. Under the new rules, so-called withdrawal prices will increase from 30% to 40% of the average EU market price over the last five years for free distribution (so-called charity withdrawals) and from 20% to 30% for withdrawals destined for other purposes (such as compost, animal feed, distillation, etc.).

Another new rule sets the maximum percentage of produce that can be marketed outside the organisation directly by each grower at 25%, replacing the former system of a minimum threshold set at EU level and a variety of different maximum thresholds set at national level.

Photo Credit: Flickr

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Hammond contradicts Tory manifesto on foreign workers

According to a report in The Telegraph, Chancellor Philip Hammond has promised that it will not be “more onerous” for UK firms to employ overseas workers after Brexit in what appears to be a contradiction to the Conservative Party’s general election manifesto.

In their manifesto, released last month, the Tories said that companies which employed foreign workers would be charged double the Immigration Skills Charge levy, with the resulting income used for training British people.

The ability to attract staff remains a huge issue for the horticultural sector, as well as being a key election battle ground. When Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said he wanted “fair immigration based on the needs of our society,” he was criticised by many Conservatives, but farm leaders have warned that without the tens of thousands of migrant workers currently employed in the food chain, UK food production could simply cease.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

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European Commission to propose 10 year extension for glyphosate

According to Bloomberg and other sources, the European Commission may be preparing to recommend a 10-year extension to the approval of glyphosate.

Most famous as the active ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup, off-patent herbicide glyphosate has recently been targeted by environmental and health campaigners, as well as the Soil Association, who cite studies which show that it can be carcinogenic and that it is frequently found in people’s urine.

Authorisation officially ended in the EU in mid-2016, when the Commission gave the chemical an 18 month stay of execution, after EU legislators failed to come to a decision on its future.

In the meantime the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has published an opinion that glyphosate is not a likely human carcinogen, but others cite a 2015 opinion from the World Health Organisation’s cancer research arm IARC, which said the herbicide is ‘probably carcinogenic to humans’.

According to an un-named Commission spokesperson, in light of ECHA’s findings, the EU Commission is set to recommend reauthorisation of glyphosate for a ten year period (shorter than the full 15 years which was previously on the table) in upcoming meetings with EU Member State representatives, according to Bloomberg.

Soil Association policy director Peter Melchett commented, “Whatever the EU decision on the overall authorisation of glyphosate, there is no excuse for the UK government’s continuing failure to introduce a ban on the use of glyphosate in public places such as playgrounds and parks and to end its use pre-harvest.”

Photo Credit: Pixabay

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UK grower breeds world’s hottest chilli

A grower from Newark has unveiled what has been dubbed, ‘the world’s hottest chilli’ at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. The variety called the Dragon’s Breath chilli measures 2.4 million Scovilles (SCU) on the Scoville heat scale, some 200,000 SCU hotter than the current record holder.

The Dragon’s Breath is the culmination of a joint project between Tom Smith Plants, NPK Technology and Newark-based chilli grower, ChilliBobs. The Dragon’s Breath was revealed to the world on the Tom Smith Plants stand at the Chelsea Flower Show and Guinness World Records have already been approached to officially verify it as the world’s hottest chilli.

As the creator, owner and commercial grower of the Dragon’s Breath chilli, father and son Bob and Neal Price, have grown and harvested it from seed. Bob said, “We make it a rule to taste every new type of chilli that we grow. As soon as we tried Dragon’s Breath we knew it was hot!”

At 2.4m Scovilles, the chilli is over 500 times hotter than Tabasco sauce. The Scoville scale, which is used to measure the spicy heat of chillies, was developed in 1912 by an American pharmacist Wilbur Scoville.

An edible version of the new chilli will be available to buy from ChilliBobs, and chilli fans will be able to taste it at the ChilliBobs East Midlands’ Chilli Festival, in July at the ChilliBobs farm in Rolleston, near Newark.

Photo Caption: Dragon’s Breath summer chilli pods.

Photo Credit: ChilliBobs Ltd

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Blackcurrant Foundation announces “Big Squeeze” campaign

The Blackcurrant Foundation, which represents the interests of more than 40 British blackcurrant growers, has announced details of its digital consumer campaign for 2017.

With the majority of British blackcurrants (around 95%) ending up in fruit cordial Ribena, the will focus on the story of how the berry gets in the bottle. Named “The Big Squeeze” it will run from May until the British harvest ends in August, and hopes to increase consumer awareness via social media and Facebook.

The aspiration is for consumers to better understand the berry’s journey from bush to bottle, starting in May with a focus on farming heritage, followed by how the land is managed in June, and finally in July the 2017 harvest itself. The campaign will be driven through Facebook with monthly farm ‘vlogs’ updating followers on how the berries are growing. There will also be a number of consumer giveaways.

A spokesperson for the campaign commented, “It is hoped the campaign will bring awareness to the custodianship by British Farmers of this small but mighty super-fruit and the taste we all enjoy when drinking it!”

Photo Caption: Chair of The Blackcurrant Foundation- Jo Hilditch- Raising a glass to the new campaign in her blackcurrant fields in Herefordshire.

Photo Credit: The Blackcurrant Foundation

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Asda stops selling loose produce

According to the Mirror, Asda’s store in Bedminster, Bristol has stopped selling certain loose product lines, including potatoes, carrots and apples.

The online report said that shoppers had attempted to get round the requirement to buy pre-packs by opening them up and taking loose items to the checkout. “It’s not even about the money (although for some it will be) but think of the food waste,” said one customer. “Also think of a poor granny having to carry 1k of carrots and 1k of potatoes home when she’s cooking a stew for one!”

The Daily Mail said that the policy appeared to be nationwide with the Asda stores in Colne and Radcliffe also stopping the sale of loose produce.

Photo Caption: Many people have complained about the lack of loose produce in Asda store on social media.

Photo Credit: Twitter

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‘Bee friendly’ plants contain pesticides says study

A new study by scientists from the Universities of Sussex and Padua in Italy has highlighted that many garden plants which are marketed to the public as being ‘pollinator friendly’, may in fact contain pesticide residues which could be harmful to the insects.

In a paper published in Environmental Pollution, the researchers said, ‘These plants are often treated with pesticides during their production. There is little information on the nature of pesticide residues present at the point of purchase and whether these plants may actually pose a threat to, rather than benefit, the health of pollinating insects.

‘This study screened leaves from 29 different ‘bee-friendly’ plants for eight insecticides and 16 fungicides commonly used in ornamental production. Only two plants (a Narcissus and a Salvia variety) did not contain any pesticide.’

Although the authors admitted that, ‘The net effect on pollinators of buying plants that are a rich source of forage for them but simultaneously risk exposing them to a cocktail of pesticides is not clear,’ retailers said they were addressing the issue.

In a statement to The Independent, B&Q said, ‘All our plant ranges are grown in line with current regulations. The research referenced was carried out last year. We announced in April 2017 that our flowering plant range, available from February 2018, will be grown free from all nine neonicotinoid pesticides.’

Aldi also questioned some of the claims in the study: ‘Since October 2016, Aldi has not sold any bedding plants with neonicotinoids,’ it said in a statement. ‘“In addition, we have never sold any plants under the RHS Perfect for Pollinators programme.’

Photo Caption: Scientists claim that plants sold as being good for pollinators could actually harm them.

Photo Credit: RHS

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Cold weather could create shortage of British top fruit

Fruit grower and chairman of the NFU horticulture board has warned that the cold weather in April could lead to a shortage of British top fruit later this year. She told The Guardian that her own apple harvest could drop by 70-80% as a result of frost damage.

“There’s damage to both top and stone fruit, which includes apples, pears, plums and cherries,” she said. “But it’s difficult to know what this means until we see the fruit sets, which is the point when it becomes clear how much fruit has stayed on the trees. However, I think there is enough evidence there will be less English fruit this year.”

English wine makers have already said that the frosts have wiped out up to 50 per cent of the national grape harvest. ““We will need our retailers and customers to be less fussy this year if they want beautiful-tasting English apples,” added Ms Capper.

Photo Credit: Alison Capper, Twitter

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