Category Archives: HortNews

House of Lords warns of risk to farm support from Brexit

During a debate on the potential impacts of leaving the European Union on farm support in the UK, the House of Lords may leave farmers and growers lacking the support of their European competitors.

The debate was called by Conservative Baroness Anne McIntosh, a former shadow minister for environment, food and rural affairs and former chair of the EFRA Committee. She called on the government to reassure farmers in agri-environment schemes which are due to end prior to the conclusion of formal Brexit negotiations. She also raised the issue of the requirement for large numbers of season workers in areas such as horticulture.

Conservative Lord DeMauley, a former Defra minister and farmer, said, “It is surely unlikely that her majesty’s treasury, once it’s given back the ability to decide how UK taxpayers’ money is spent, will maintain the basic farm payment at anything like its current level.”

Lib Dem Lord Thomas of Gresford pointed out that comments made by Defra minster George Eustice at the Royal Welsh Show, when he said he could not guarantee that future agricultural support programmes would be as generous as support under the CAP, were contrary to assurances he had given during the Brexit campaign when Mr Eustice promised farmers would receive at least as much support funding as they currently do.

Photo Caption: Defra minister George Eustice MP was criticised for back tracking on his promise to maintain support for UK farmers.

Photo Credit: George Eustice

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Government issues update at E. coli investigation continues

On Thursday 21 July the UK Government issued an update on the ongoing investigation into an outbreak of E. coli O157 which has left two people dead and has been linked to prepared salads.

Public Health England (PHE) confirmed that, as of Thursday, 160 cases of this strain of E. coli had been identified with 153 cases in England, 6 in Wales and 1 in Scotland. Dr Isabel Oliver, director of PHE’s field epidemiology service, said, “We are pleased to see a very significant reduction in the number of cases with 9 reported over the past week. This could indicate that we are over the worst of this outbreak, with those affected reporting the last onset of symptoms on 5 July.”

PHE investigations have shown that several of the affected individuals ate mixed salad leaves including rocket leaves prior to becoming unwell. “The source of the outbreak remains unconfirmed and under investigation; we are not ruling out other food items,” stressed Dr Oliver. “It’s important to be aware that no individual wholesaler, supplier, retailer, or restaurant has been confirmed as the source and currently the Food Standard Agency’s investigations focus on the distribution of mixed salad leaves to wholesale and not supermarkets.”

She added, “All food sample results to date have been negative for E.coli O157, but it’s important to be aware that where food has been contaminated with E.coli O157, it is not always possible to identify the bacteria on food testing. A small number of wholesalers continue to be advised to cease adding some non-UK salad leaves to their mixed salad products pending further investigations.”

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

The post Government issues update at E. coli investigation continues appeared first on Hort News on 27 July 2016.

Could robots be the answer to UK labour issues?

A recent report suggests that robots could help UK growers deal with potential labour shortages in the future, but in practice their widespread use may still be some way off.

Published by the Resolution Foundation, a new report suggests that some sectors of the fresh produce industry might consider the use of robots and greater automation, while others will require a carefully considered immigration policy to prevent damaging staff shortages.

Adam Corlett, Economic Analyst at the Resolution Foundation said: “People have long warned about the rise of the job stealing robots, but they haven’t had much effect to date in a country that has record employment and a terrible record on productivity. “For sectors like agriculture, further automation could provide part of the answer to coping with the changed labour market, although it will require a major shift in investment to become a reality.”

The report came as US company Harvest CROO revealed more details of its automated strawberry picker which is in development. “Our biggest differentiator has always been that growers will not have to change the way they currently grow strawberries,” said Gary Wishnatzki, co-founder of Harvest CROO and owner of Wish Farms based in Plant City, FL. “Now, with the patent of the Pitzer Wheel, what I believe to be the heart of the invention, we have another strong distinguishing factor.”

The post Could robots be the answer to UK labour issues? appeared first on Hort News on 15 July 2016.

AHDB calls for studentship proposals

The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) is inviting applications for a slice of £1 million in funding for postgraduate studentships.

A call for proposals for up to 15 PhDs has been issued to UK universities, colleges and research institutes as part of work to develop a new tranche of agricultural and horticultural scientific expertise. The funding supplied by AHDB equates to £70,500 per studentship, which can be split over three or four years, and this is the first time that studentships in every AHDB sector have received the same level of funding.

Applicants must detail how the proposed research will help meet the priorities of one or more of the six levy sectors – Beef & Lamb, Cereals & Oilseeds, Dairy, Horticulture, Pork and Potatoes. They must also demonstrate how projects will deliver useful and relevant research outcomes.

AHDB’s Kim Matthews, who chairs the studentship programme, said, “Once again we are seeking the best and brightest of the UK’s scientific talent to bring innovative research ideas to the table. We want to see practical, applied scientific solutions to the challenges facing industry, whether affecting one particular sector or with applications across the piece.”

Photo Credit: AHDB

The post AHDB calls for studentship proposals appeared first on Hort News on 15 July 2016.

Growers urged to help stop spread of foot rot in peas

Historically in the UK, foot rot in pea crops has been caused by Fusarium spp. and Didymella pinodella but now another fungus is meaning it is even more important to control the spread of this destructive disease.

Dr Lea Wiesel, plant pathologist with the Processors and Growers Research Organisation (PGRO), says, “Now another very destructive pathogen, Aphanomyces euteiches, has been adding to the foot-rot complex. This is a soil-borne oomycete that produces long-lasting resting spores that can survive in soils for more than 10 years, and even low numbers of resting spores can have devastating effects on yields. Once a field is infected, it can’t be used for pea cropping for at least a decade.”

To help growers, PGRO has developed a new laboratory test to assess risk levels for the disease in soils, so that growers can make informed decisions about cropping. A 2kg soil sample taken in a W pattern across the field should be collected, and the cost of each test is £149. Dr Wiesel advises that samples are sent 12-18 months before planned planting in order for cropping plans to be revised if necessary.

Photo Caption: Dr Lea Wiesel

Photo Credit: PRGO

The post Growers urged to help stop spread of foot rot in peas appeared first on Hort News on 17 July 2016.

BASF latest company to be linked to Monsanto

Business and agricultural publications report that Monsanto may be investigating the purchase of BASF’s agricultural business after rejecting Bayer’s $62 billion takeover bid earlier this year.

At the same time, both Bayer and Monsanto have confirmed that the former has submitted a revised, and higher, bid for its American rival. In a press release issued on 14 July Bayer said it had increased its takeover bid to $125 per share (the previous bid was $122 per share) in an offer submitted to Monsanto on 9th July.

Bayer CEO Werner Baumann said, “We are convinced that this transaction is the best opportunity available to provide Monsanto shareholders with highly attractive, immediate and certain value. Bayer is fully committed to pursuing this transaction.”

However, in the financial markets, a Monsanto acquisition of part of BASF was seen as easier to pull off. “Looking at the agricultural chemicals and seeds landscape, Monsanto-BASF is the most logical combination,” said Christian Faitz, an analyst at Kepler Cheuvreux.

Other consolidation in the sector includes the announced merger of Dow Chemical and DuPont and ChemChina’s ongoing acquisition of Syngenta.

Photo Caption: BASF’s US headquarters

Photo Credit: BASF

The post BASF latest company to be linked to Monsanto appeared first on Hort News on 15 July 2016.

Student develops salad harvester

A student at Cambridge University has won an industry award for developing a new concept for salad harvesting.

Armand de Durfort, a graduate from Ecole Polytechnique who has just completed his MPhil in Industrial Systems, Manufacture and Management at the University of Cambridge, developed his SoftHarvest system in cooperation with G’s Growers.

“The first challenge was to teach the harvester to recognise the lettuce and distinguish it from other green plants. The second was for it to pick the lettuce and cut it near to the ground without damaging it,” he explained.

“Our approach is to develop the vision recognition and control software and integrate this with a two-armed robot. By using existing hardware and adding considerable value with the application-specific software we aim to mitigate the risk of investment and provide a three-year return on investment.”

Presenting the Student award as part of Agri-Tech East’s GROW competition, Dr Belinda Clarke, said, “There is significant and growing demand for automation in agriculture as we move towards greater precision in all areas of the industry. Armand De Durfort produced a well researched business plan based on his direct experience of working with a commercial grower. It shows an appreciation of the narrow profit margins in this competitive market and the technology is inspirational.”

Photo Caption: Left-Right: David Langton (Agrii), Armand de Durfort (Softharvest), Phil Wigge (Pinpoint Phenomics), Belinda Clarke (Agri-Tech East)

Photo Credit: Agritech-East

 

The post Student develops salad harvester appeared first on Hort News on 13 July 2016.

Tesco potato growers win contract extension

Tesco is to issue new long term contracts worth £12 million over the next three years to British potato growers and packers.

Through the Tesco Sustainable Farming Group – Potatoes (TSFG-Potatoes), growers will benefit from greater financial certainty, allowing them to invest in their businesses for the future. The group will consist of producers and industry experts from across the country, and will aim to build stronger relationships through the whole supply chain to ensure customers are offered the best range and varieties at the right price.

Matt Simister, Tesco’s Commercial Director for Fresh Food explained, “Working collaboratively with our suppliers to ensure we provide the highest quality fresh produce for our customers is right at the heart of what we do.  Whilst there isn’t a single simple solution to resolve the uncertainty faced by many potato growers, it’s important that we all play our part. These new contracts will help to bring more confidence back into the whole potato supply chain and build a truly sustainable British potato industry.”

Under the new scheme, from September, producers will be given direct contracts with Tesco and a three year rolling commitment which will guarantee in advance, the volume of the crop that the supermarket will buy. Growers will also receive a price, based on their production costs, which will take into account inflation, farming inputs like the cost of fertiliser and the additional expenses involved in growing high quality fresh produce for customers.

Potato grower Crawford Black from Fife, Scotland added “These new three-year rolling contracts will give my family business more confidence to look further ahead, make plans and invest for the future, safe in the knowledge that we have a long-term commitment from Tesco to continue to work with us.”

Photo Caption: Tesco says the new contracts will help the industry

Photo Credit: Tesco

The post Tesco potato growers win contract extension appeared first on Hort News on 17 July 2016.

Dutch growers struggling to repair hail damaged glass

According to reports from The Netherlands, Dutch greenhouse growers are struggling to find enough workers and companies to repair significant hail damage.

Storms on 24 June, some of which damaged top fruit in the south east of England, are reported to have destroyed 150 hectares of glass in the Noord-Brabant region and damaged another 50 hectares. In total the damage has been estimated at between €70 and €100 million.

Although insurance companies and financial institutions like Rabobank have been working to help growers, greenhouse construction and repair companies have said they cannot find enough staff to meet the demand for rapid repairs, with some growers worried they will not be back up and running in time for the next season.

Photo Caption: One of the hailstones which fell at the end of June

Photo Credit: @SuperSaartje/Twitter

The post Dutch growers struggling to repair hail damaged glass appeared first on Hort News on 13 July 2016.

Morrisons apologises for Groceries Code breach

Supermarket Morrisons has apologised to its suppliers after it was found to have indirectly required suppliers to pay lump sum payments in breach of the Grocery Suppliers Code of Practice (GCSoP).

In a clarification to the Code issued on 20 June 2016, The Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) said that following evidence supplied in June and July 2015 there was evidence that there may have been a code breach and that it wrote to ‘Wm Morrison Supermarkets plc Chief Executive Officer alerting him to the issue. As a result, Wm Morrison Supermarkets plc immediately launched an extensive internal investigation, including reviewing 66,000 emails, interviewing employees and taking disciplinary action where appropriate. Further training for staff on negotiation techniques permitted by the Code was immediately put in place, with particular focus on variation to existing Supply Agreements.’

Morrison’s chief executive David Potts said the retailer has “completely changed the way it works with suppliers.

“These events happened a year ago and since then much has been achieved to ensure they don’t happen again. However, we are sorry they happened in the first place,” he added. “I have brought in a new management team who have modernised and simplified all of our buying practices. We have also reorganised and retrained our buying team.”

 

The post Morrisons apologises for Groceries Code breach appeared first on Hort News.