At last, some good news for glasshouse growers last month as it was announced the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF) has included protected horticulture for the first time.
Phase 3 of the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund, which now includes controlled environment (edible) horticulture, is worth £185m of capital investment match funding for business projects focused on decarbonising and energy efficiency technologies.
The funding could be used for projects that include; feasibility and engineering studies for potential deployment projects that will deliver energy efficiency or decarbonisation benefits if implemented, enabling decision-makers to make informed investment choices.
It is also available for deployment of mature energy efficiency technologies that improve industrial energy efficiency and reduce energy demand as well as deployment of deep decarbonisation technologies that reduce carbon emissions.
Quite why this extension hasn’t included ornamental horticulture as well is a bit of a mystery. Many ornamental plants are grown indoors and require heat to grow and therefore growers still need access to funds to help them become more efficient and to decarbonise. But, overall, it is a beacon of hope for protected edible growers after a torrid few years of energy price hikes.
When you are up against it, it is hard to see how you can invest in your business in the short-medium term, but funding like this can sometimes provide the best solutions.
Elsewhere, the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) has described the Government’s response to the House of Lords Horticultural Sector Committee as a ‘missed opportunity’.
Among the organisation’s most interesting suggestions is for the government to create a cross-government Office for Green Spaces to deliver a Horticulture Strategy, which is important to underwriting UK climate change ambitions. Which party will take up this challenge in the lead up to the forthcoming General Election?
The March issue also includes articles on,
- UK First for Sakata
- Bayer launches ToBRFV knowledge centre
- Renewables still a key option
- Major boost for international giant
To read these and more from “The Commercial Greenhouse Grower” subscribe today – find out more here.
