Annual General Meeting on 6 April – exciting speaker programme announced
The 89th National Fruit Show (NFS) will take place on 2 & 3 November 2022 at the Kent Showground at Detling near Maidstone, Kent and has been repositioned to fully include soft-fruit and top-fruit. “This new date means that growers will have picked the majority of their fruit and will be able to bring their teams to the Show,” explained Executive Chair Sarah Calcutt. “It has not been possible to secure a date in November before; we know the industry will be pleased by the move into November and we are looking forward to seeing everyone again at Detling. We have listened to the needs of our industry and for the first time our Show will be for growers of all fruit crops, ensuring that we are encompassing the broad range of challenges facing our sector, from regenerative techniques to the AI and automation revolution required.”
April AGM and conference programme unveiled
In the lead up to the Show, the organiser, the Marden Fruit Show Society, has announced that its AGM will be taking place on Wednesday 6 April 2022 at NIAB EMR, East Malling, Kent. As well as covering Society business, the day will feature a full conference programme focusing on the theme ‘UK Fruit Growing – the Future, Automation and Research’. The AGM is open to everyone in the UK fruit Industry and will be available to attend in person and on-line via a weblink.
Sponsored by the Agri-EPI Centre, which supports the development of engineering and precision agriculture technologies and systems, the programme will look at how new technologies can help growers become more efficient and productive at a time of tight margins and chronic labour shortages. Dave Ross, Chief Executive of the Agri-EPI Centre said, “For us, sponsoring the National Fruit Show’s AGM is a fantastic way of showing our support for a like-minded organisation tackling the collective challenge of how to shape the future of sustainable fruit farming in the UK. We’re looking forward to the programme and an interesting day.”
During the conference, the prestigious James Nichols Lecture will be delivered by Prof. Simon Pearson, director of the Lincoln Institute for Agri-Food Technology. A leader in inter-disciplinary ag-tech research, Prof. Pearson is working on developing robotic solutions to drive productivity across the agri-food sector, including harvesting, phenotyping, and crop care.
Also on the conference platform will be Tim Mordan, Deputy Director of the Agri-Food chain at Defra. Tim will be attending the AGM to talk about the Seasonal Workers Scheme, how the agencies involved are working to bring the right candidates to the UK and sourcing labour from home. Alongside Tim on the programme will be Lee Abbey, Chief Advisor, Horticulture and Potatoes at the NFU.
Outfield and the future of fruit growing
There is a vast array of new and exciting technologies entering the horticultural space, from AI and machine learning to robotics and satellite technology. Jim McDougall from Outfield will be talking about the technology that they have developed with growers to assess orchards throughout the season using AI and drones. He’ll also share what they’ve seen across horticulture in recent years, what Outfield’s growers have found useful, and where these technologies might be going.
The afternoon conference session will run in conjunction with NIAB-EMR, and all attendees have been invited to be the first visitors to the new Growing Kent and Medway facility. An exclusive tour of the new research facility, including the new business client zone, line innovation centre, and postharvest technology and fruit research areas, will be followed by a presentation of the latest research findings for the fruit sector.
“There’s so much to look forward to at the AGM, and I would urge growers and other interested parties to reserve their places,” said Sarah Calcutt. “This is a crucial time for the industry, with growers having to deal with a wide range of challenges, and this conference will showcase some of the exciting examples of how automation and technology can help producers thrive in the future.
The winners of the long-term storage competition will be revealed at the AGM, and it’s set to be a hard-fought contest, it’s the largest group of entries that we’ve seen in recent years, which is an incredible result.”
The Marden Fruit Show Society AGM will take place in person on 6 April. The cost is £20 per person to cover food and refreshments throughout the day. More information is available at nationalfruitshow.org.uk or by emailing info@nationalfruitshow.org.uk.