The rain still falls, but plants are moving as the days lengthen, so as always, there is a change of mood to hopefulness as spring is on the way. Farmers across Europe have been out on their tractors, joined by protests at Dover and Cardiff, and public support for farmers is overwhelmingly positive. Perhaps it’s not surprising that our Prime Minister, speaking at the NFU Conference, pledged to double the previously promised funding of new technological research. Now that Minette Batters has retired as NFU President, her views on working with politicians can be truthfully aired. Her recent interview in The Times nails the issues: “The government just don’t seem to care about food security, and it panics me”. She sets out her fears that food producers could give up and take their land out of production if treated as pariahs rather than as providers. “Growers have no certainty about who will pick apples anymore. If you want to put up a solar farm you’ll be paid for the next 25 years. It’s a no-brainer, if you produce fruit and vegetables for the nation, you will spend your time in endless negotiations with ruthless supermarket buyers beating you down to the lowest common denominator”.
The FAST Conference is guaranteed to be both practical and thought-provoking. The team at FAST plan the programme with great care, thinking of what themes are topical and demonstrating their hands-on knowledge to try to fill any gaps. Their invited speakers are also a barometer of what’s topical, with this year’s theme being saving money or finding grants and funding streams to help in the current climate. Reports from the International Soft Fruit Conference earlier this year give a view of the investment being made by Dutch growers and new ideas to keep the industry going forward. ‘Strawberry plants grown from seed’ was one of the main subjects covered and another was producing blackberries in a glasshouse using less energy. New substrates, gutters and LEDs dominated the developments at the trade show.
It is good to see that the future of Brogdale Farm, the home of the National Fruit Collection, is now settled. The purchase by the East Malling Trust is excellent news. Chairman Oliver Doubleday says: “The move is consistent with our mission to advance scientific knowledge and innovation in horticulture, fits with our property portfolio, and utilises our existing estate management skills”.
The March issue also includes
- International Soft Fruit Conference
- FAST members’ conference
- Top-fruit insecticides
- New chair for IBO
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