Category Archives: HortNews

Lettuce supplies short due to heat

Lettuce growers in the UK and further afield have warned of shortages as the hot weather and lack of rain continue for the foreseeable future.

With this summer already being claimed as the hottest since 1976, wholesale prices for lettuce and some brassicas have spiked, while home-grown and imported fruit such as strawberries and melons are also attracting high prices.

“Cabbages and icebergs are suffering because they’re getting cooked in the field, prices are tremendously high. The price of lettuce has gone from £4.80 per box to £9.60,” Chris Hutchinson, owner of Arthur Hutchinson Ltd at New Spitalfields Market.

Spokesman for the British Leafy Salad Growers Association, Dieter Lloyd, said that record sales of 18 million heads of lettuce (a 40 per cent increase on the previous year) together with hot conditions which were preventing growth could lead to a shortage of the crop.

“While it is great news that leafy salad sales are up around 40 per cent across all retailers, that’s just half the story. The record temperatures have stopped the UK lettuce crop growing. When the mercury hits 30 degrees Celsius lettuces can’t grow,” he said. In all of the major growing areas, from Cupar in Fife, through Preston, Lancs, to Ely in East Anglia and Chichester, Sussex, the hot weather has affected all our growers and we may be seeing some gaps on retailers’ shelves in the next two weeks as the heat wave continues.”

The post Lettuce supplies short due to heat appeared first on Hort News on 9 July 2018.

Co-op suppliers set up ‘bee roads’

Farmer suppliers to the Co-op have planted more than 1,000 miles of hedgerows to form part of a network of ‘bee’ roads across the UK.

Using its new environmental-impact measurement tool Enviro-Map, the Co-op says that seven different producer groups have created the following environmental features:

  • 1000 miles (1633 km) of hedgerows which are actively managed across the farming groups
  • 1,400 hectares of native, coniferous and broadleaf woodland
  • 455 hectares of watercourses and wetlands
  • 116 hectares of wildflower meadows
  • 100 devices, such as bird boxes, bee hives and beetle banks, on farms to encourage wildlife

Matt Hood, Co-op’s trading director, said: “The need to create a more sustainable approach to farming and food production is just as important as producing high-quality; fairly-priced food and we can only achieve this with regular and reliable measurement of our producers. We are delighted to see that in year one alone, they are already offsetting their farming practises by contributing heavily to improved biodiversity levels which are so utterly critical to the air we breathe and the water we drink.”

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

The post Co-op suppliers set up ‘bee roads’ appeared first on Hort News on 21 June 2018.

New tomato harvesting robot tested

Israeli start-up MetoMotion hopes that its new Greenhouse Robotic Worker (GRoW), which is described as ‘a multipurpose robotic intensive system for labor-intensive tasks in greenhouses’ will impress industrial users with the ability to harvest tomatoes.

The company currently has a patent pending for its 3D Vision System is to detect ripe fruit and calculates their location. The system designed to locate a stem without the need for exact data and to cut and catch fruits in a single operation. The company says the unit will also clear away obstacles and will not damage plant or fruit.

“With GRoW, we’ve tried to solve a complex problem in a smart, simple and effective manner,” says MetoMotion CEO Adi Nir. “The system is designed for a simple operation and a smooth integration into an existing greenhouse infrastructure and practice. We want to reduce the limitations and the high costs associated with human labour in greenhouse vegetable production.” However, the machine is still some way from commercialisation, with the developers seeking to raise $1.5 million in funding, together with another $1 million from government grants.

MetoMotion is not the only company working to robotically harvest greenhouse crops. In July, Wageningen University & Research (WUR) will be demonstrating the SWEEPER pepper harvesting robot in the commercial greenhouse of ‘De Tuindershoek’ in Ijsselmuiden, the Netherlands. According to WUR, the SWEEPER robot is the first sweet pepper harvesting robot in the world to be demonstrated in a commercial greenhouse.

Photo Caption: Render of the GRoW robot

Photo Credit: MetoMotion

The post New tomato harvesting robot tested appeared first on Hort News on 21 June 2018.

EU farm groups call for end to uncertainties

European farming groups have united to urge the European Union to minimise the impact of uncertainties on trade and Brexit, and to call for more coherent European policies.

Speaking in Brussels after a meeting with 66 presidents of farmers and cooperative organisations across the EU, president of European farm union Copa, Joachim Rukwied, warned, “We are disappointed with the EU Commission proposal on the future CAP. It is unacceptable that more and more is being asked of farmers in terms of respecting tough food safety, welfare and environmental requirements for less and less money. Another major concern is the fact that the technology toolbox that farmers rely on to maintain their competitiveness is being eroded every day. We are very proud of our production standards. More coherence between policies is vital to ensure that they are maintained.

“We cannot accept that our standards in the trade talks with the Latin American trade bloc Mercosur are weakened or that our farmers are penalised for respecting them by being subject to unfair competition. Trade concessions must be minimized for our more sensitive sectors.”

Cogeca president Thomas Magnusson added, “It is in our common interest to develop good, balanced trading relations between the farming community in the EU and other parts of the world. The potential misuse of free trade agreements by our trading partners could seriously undermine the credibility of these agreements.”

 Photo Credit: Copa Cogeca

The post EU farm groups call for end to uncertainties appeared first on Hort News on 21 June 2018.

Industry getting ready for Fruit Focus

As preparations for Fruit Focus on 25th July continue, the event, which is expected to connect more than 1,300 visitors to over 120 exhibitors, says it will focus on the continued evolution of the UK fruit industry as it faces climate change, Brexit, new technology and irrigation challenges.

The event will give growers the chance to see the latest innovation in water use and irrigation in the Water Efficient Technologies (WET) Centre. Opened last year, it features a fully automated Precision Irrigation Package, which has proven to reduce the use of water, fertilisers, pesticides and energy by 20% while also delivering up to a 10% increase in strawberry yields. With new abstraction licenses on the horizon, the area is sure to be popular.

Event hosts NIAB EMR will also be holding a forum looking at precision growing of soft fruit, encompassing new innovations and technologies to enhance crop productivity, resilience and quality. The ever-popular research tours will include the research vineyard, WET centre and concept pear orchard. “NIAB EMR’s showpiece demonstration feature, the WET Centre, is in its first full year of production, and we are anticipating a heavy crop of Malling™ Centenary,” comments Prof Mario Caccamo, managing director at NIAB EMR.

Other attractions include the NFU Forum and tours looking at strawberry pollination and the ‘concept pear orchard.’ Tickets are on sale now.

Photo Credit: Fruit Focus

The post Industry getting ready for Fruit Focus appeared first on Hort News on 21 June 2018.

Huntapac Bike Ride for Charity

Huntapac Managing Director Warren Hunter and Technical Director Stephen Shields plan to cycle from Land’s End to John O’Groats in just two weeks from the 5 July to raise money for a number of good causes including local children’s hospice Derian House, Lupus UK, Mere Brow and District Institute, and a little girl with a genetic disease.

“The community aspect of our business is very important,” comments Stephen. “It’s 1,178 miles in total, or an average of 85 miles a day.” For more information or to donate, visit; uk.virginmoneygiving.com/HuntapacCharityCycle

The post Huntapac Bike Ride for Charity appeared first on Hort News on 20 June 2018.

Industry prepares for British Flowers Week

British Flowers week begins on 18 June and this year is supported by the Flower Market at New Covent Garden Market, Flowers from the Farm and the British Florist Association.

2018 marks the sixth year of the campaign, and events to celebrate the UK cut flower industry include a Farmer Florist exhibition at Ryedale Folk Museum in North Yorkshire, a ‘flower bomb’ of British blooms in Edinburgh’s Old Town, and six innovative installations at the Garden Museum.

Started by New Covent Garden Flower Market in 2013, British Flowers Week is an annual celebration of the wealth and variety of British cut flowers and foliage. Last year’s campaign saw over 35 British Flowers Week workshops, talks, pop-up shops and floral demonstrations taking place around the country. This year tools for florists include free gift tags and posters, as well as using the hashtag #BritishFlowersWeek to connect on social media channels.

Helen Evans, of New Covent Garden Market, commented, “British Flowers Week is a great opportunity to raise awareness of some of the people and businesses that continue to make the creativity and excellence in the British floristry industry second to none, with the industry worth £2.2 billion.”

Photo Caption: Veevers Carter are one of the florists producing an installation at the Garden Museum

Photo Credit: Veevers Carter

The post Industry prepares for British Flowers Week appeared first on Hort News on 14 June 2018.

Climate change could threaten veg production

A new study has warned that the effects of climate change could significantly limit the global production of vegetable crops and legumes, with an impact on the health of people’s diets.

Researchers led by a team at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) warned that without mitigation of the negative impacts on agricultural yields, environmental changes predicted to occur by mid- to end-century in water availability and ozone concentrations would reduce average yields of vegetables and legumes by 35 per cent and 9 per cent respectively. In hot regions like Southern Europe and large parts of Africa and South Asia, increased air temperatures would reduce average vegetable yields by an estimated 31 per cent.

Professor Alan Dangour, senior author at LSHTM, said, “We have brought together all the available evidence on the impact of environmental change on yields and quality of vegetables and legumes for the first time. Our analysis suggests that if we take a ‘business as usual’ approach, environmental changes will substantially reduce the global availability of these important foods. Urgent action needs to be taken, including working to support the agriculture sector to increase its resilience to environmental changes and this must be a priority for governments across the world.”

Dr Howie Frumkin of the Wellcome Trust, which funded the study, added, “This excellent review highlights that some of the most important foods, and some of the world’s most vulnerable people, are at highest risk. This research is a wake-up call, underlining the urgency of tackling climate change and of improving agricultural practices.”

Photo Credit: Pixart Bay

The post Climate change could threaten veg production appeared first on Hort News on 14 June 2018.

MP calls for subsidised fresh produce

Barrow-in-Furness MP John Woodcock has written to Environment Secretary Michael Gove calling on him ‘to include in the forthcoming child obesity strategy a measure to subsidise fresh fruit and vegetables in corner shops and convenience stores.’

The move comes as recent figures from the National Child Measurement Programme revealed that hundreds of children in his constituency were not getting a healthy start in life, with around a third of four- and five-year olds in the region being classed as overweight.

In his letter, Mr Woodcock says, ““Deeply shocking statistics show that 30 percent of four and five-year-olds in Barrow are overweight. As you know, children who do not get a healthy start in life are more likely to struggle at school and suffer health problems throughout their lives. Reducing child obesity is essential if we are to reduce the blight of inequality and poor life choices in Britain.”

His letter was backed by Action for Children, which runs seven Sure Start Children’s Centres throughout the area, but the charity also warned other action was also required. Michelle Doherty, service manager for the Furness Sure Start Children’s Centres, said, “Subsidising fresh fruit and vegetables would be a positive move. We would support the call for that. But subsidising those foods would not solve the issue. It has to be coupled with helping to show families how to prepare a decent healthy meal and how they can make that appeal to children.”


Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

The post MP calls for subsidised fresh produce appeared first on Hort News on 14 June 2018.

NFU and Concordia issue labour warning

Agricultural labour supplier Concordia has warned that due to the implications of Brexit, workers from Eastern Europe are choosing to work elsewhere than the UK, putting pressure on the availability of harvest workers for the coming season.

Factors such as the weak pound and high travelling costs to the UK mean that the company, which normally supplies up to 10,000 foreign workers for some 200 farms a year could be 10 per cent worse this year. Concordia chief executive Stephanie Maurel warned the Eastern Daily Press that overall the national picture this year is likely to be “a lot, lot worse.”

Calling for urgent action from the Government to allow the recruitment of workers from countries outside the EU, such as Ukraine, she added, “The money itself is reasonable, and that doesn’t come out as a complaint when we do our surveys and focus groups. What does is that the strength of the pound means that when they convert back into euro and to local currency they’re usually better off going to Germany or Scandinavia, because Brexit has actually had an impact on the comparison rates, which is one thing.”

While may UK growers and farmers have good reputations as employers, she pointed out: “That only goes so far if you can earn more in Germany because the strength of the pound has changed.”

Ali Capper, chair of the National Farmers’ Union horticulture and potatoes board, told the newspaper that, anecdotally growers currently “have just about enough labour”, but that the industry is “very concerned” about the summer months.

Photo Caption: Concordia chief executive Stephanie Maurel

The post NFU and Concordia issue labour warning appeared first on Hort News on 7 June 2018.