The speed of change in the UK Government has been astonishing, and it is hoped that this embarrassing situation will never be repeated. At least the presence of Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt at the helm has steadied the financial ship, but what of other cabinet changes in the last week of October? Thérèse Coffey MP is now the Defra Secretary of State, returning to a department where she was a junior minister three years ago. From a rural constituency, and listing gardening in her list of interests, she does at least have some background knowledge. The controversial reappointment of Suella Braverman KC MP as Home Secretary by the new Prime Minister is unwelcome news, considering her views on immigration and particularly the employment of seasonal workers, which she made plain when serving in Liz Truss’ ill-fated cabinet.
The Westminster horror show, playing out every day on the news, has been a distraction from the apple and grape harvest, but has only deepened the gloom over the future for many growers. John Guest writes in his Comment, “Never in my 60-plus years in the fruit industry have I seen a scenario like we face today. The prospect of a collapse of many businesses is hanging over us on a fine thread and we’re hoping for Government support”. The mood at the National Fruit Show at the beginning of November may be in stark contrast to that of the Vineyard Show at the end of the month. A near-perfect grape harvest of quality fruit to be made into spectacular wines has helped and, so far, sales of this luxury product, backed by very wealthy investors in UK vineyards and wineries, shows no sign of stalling. Regenerative viticulture is the buzzword around the world of grape growing and a report on a recent workshop held in Hampshire at Penn Croft Farm introduces the principles.
Machinery and new technological solutions are what keeps our industry going forward and articles this month demonstrate this. This year the International Mechanisation & Demonstration Strawberry Trade Show was incorporated into the Fourth International Strawberry Congress held in Belgium. There’s a good round up of what was on offer from new varieties to artificial lighting. Organic vine growing requires reliable machinery capable of dealing with tasks that would normally be handled via chemical spraying. Experience at the 230ha Silverhand Estate in Kent is eye-opening.
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