Ask growers what their biggest challenge has been the last year and they will undoubtedly say the weather. The one factor that lies outside our control has created issues both in the spring and the autumn and winter periods this year, and the legacy of the current harvesting conditions could last for some time.
Of course, weather is only one of many issues faced by our industry, but many of the others are affected by political or economic factors, including access to labour, the disconnect between input costs and sale prices, and access to plant protection products (PPPs). In fact, the decreasing number of approved PPPs has been an ongoing issue for many years, although there is no doubt that more recent issues around post-Brexit approvals and regulatory uncertainty have added to the costs and restrictions that both manufacturers and growers face.
A lack of available pesticides is not only about unfair competition from growers in Europe or further afield, or even about the extra management and costs often involved in non-chemical forms of control. It can also have a direct effect on pest, disease and weed issues by increasing resistance and changing population dynamics.
As Lynn Tatnell of ADAS points out; “Growers have increased reliance on a limited number of herbicide modes of action, and in many cases, this has resulted in an increase in resistance.” It is therefore important that growers take extra care when using products to follow manufacturers and agronomists’ recommendations in order to minimise the risk of resistance developing in the field. It is also important to ensure that other techniques, such as the destruction of cover crops, do not increase the risk further.
Wireworm is another pest that is becoming more problematic, and which has limited options for control. The good news is that the industry has come together to better understand the pest and develop control methods, but it remains important that the chemical options available are protected for as long as possible.
As we enter the New Year, growers will be hoping for an easier season than 2023 but will also have one eye on Westminster where the petition calling for reform of the Groceries Supply Code of Practice launched by Guy Singh-Watson of Riverford will be debated by MPs on 22 January. That it has taken a high profile grower who does not supplly multiple retailers to draw the public’s attention to their behaviour says something about the situation growers find themselves in.
There has been no shortage of political noise about horticulture in 2023, from the Downing Street Summit to several key reports by industry experts, MPs and the Lords. However, despite many high profile and positive recommendations, actual government policy reforms have been notably lacking. Whether this debate marks a turning point remains to be seen.
The January issue also includes articles on:
- Carrots – Global carrot industry meets in York
- Herbicide – Strategies to help slow herbicide resistance development
- Onions – Red varieties attract attention at NIAB
- Seeds – Loss of PPPs driving growth of alternative seed treatments
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