Use technology to grow - and profit

Growers attending the ADAS/Syngenta UK Vegetable Industry Conference this week (Wednesday 7 February) were told to adopt new technology and ideas to help their business grow and benefit the environment.

UK horticulture needs to focus more than ever on new technology to achieve high production at low cost, according to influential agricultural economist, Sean Rickard. "I believe UK agriculture is on the brink of greater prosperity than it has seen in the past," he told delegates at the ADAS/Syngenta UK Vegetable Industry Conference, held in Peterborough this week (Wednesday 7 February).

"Now is not the time to turn backwards, with ideas of extensification that can only lead to low productivity and high cost production; such a route has no place in today’s economy." He does not believe consumers are willing to pay any more for crops grown extensively, or that such systems will deliver any environmental benefits.

"Organic sales amount to no more than the country spends on cat food," he claimed. "It will never be anything more than a niche market for an elite few consumers." Mr Rickard urged growers to adopt new science-based ideas and techniques as soon as possible - that can both deliver higher yields, and enhance the environment more effectively, he argued.

"Growers need to raise productivity as quickly, or faster, than national productivity, if they are to maintain and raise incomes in the future." Mr Rickard said he believed there is huge scope for farmers to raise their incomes, if they can take back some of the value that is added on to their crops before they reach consumers.

But he warned that few farmers have the necessary skills to turn to raw materials into processed products themselves; instead they should be looking to use their assets to invest in new business opportunities and skilled people, who can successfully operate farmer-controlled businesses (FCBs) on their behalf.

Consumer led demand

Kent fruit grower and director of farmer-controlled KG Growers, Alastair Brooks, reported the company’s success and phenomenal growth over recent years has been the result of consumer demand for healthy eating, and lifestyle choices for foods presented attractively, conveniently and at the right price.

"We have brought in the marketing, research and technical expertise where it has been required to service our customers and our growers more effectively," he said. "One of the key elements has been to create a dedicated grower base for individual retail customers, which has brought things together and created greater understanding of each others’ needs and the final market place.

"Soft fruit fits the demand for healthier lifestyle and ticks all the boxes for consumers. It has always been an undersupplied market, so far, but we are still looking ahead to reduce exposure at the times of peak supply and market instability, and find new ways to extend and develop opportunities."

Increasing shopping basket share

Dr Carrie Ruxton, nutritionist with CCD Healthcare, the company running the healthy eating promotional campaign for the HDC, told the ADAS/Syngenta UK Vegetable Industry Conference that there is still immense scope for vegetable growers to take a greater share of a healthier lifestyle shopping basket.

"We know that awareness of the Five-A-Day campaign is very high, and that people know what they should be doing and why. But consumption is still running at just under three portions of fruit and vegetables a day, which we need to address. There is undoubtedly competition from other health-claiming foods, but fresh fruit and veg have real natural benefits that we have to get across."

She highlighted that 96% of children do not achieve their Five-A-Day target, and that they still get 20% of their entire dietary energy intake from sweets; "the challenge is how do we get them to switch from sweets to fruit and veg?" Connecting consumers back with growers to reinforce the taste, health and energy benefits is core to the company’s campaign.

Bumblebee revival

Sainsbury product technologist and the company’s ’bumblebee ambassador’, Debbie Wynstanley, highlighted that the Syngenta Operation Bumblebee environmental project is helping to connect its customers back to the countryside and the fields where their food is produced.

She reported the highly successful Sainsbury revival plan has been based around the concept of ’Fixing the Basics - Adding the Magic’; "and Operation Bumblebee certainly adds the magic.

"We are really proud of what Syngenta has done in bringing this project to fruition, and what our growers are doing to put it into practice. It’s a real chance to make a positive difference with something that is really connective with customers."

Over 300 of Sainsbury’s growers, who farm in excess of 80,000 hectares of farmland across the UK and represent 90% of the company’s grower base, will receive specialist training from Syngenta in the new skills required to manage the carefully designed bumblebee habitat.

Geoff Coates, Syngenta Operation Bumblebee Manager, reported the company aims to have 1000 farmers signed up to Operation Bumblebee over the next three years, with each committed to at least one hectare of the special pollen and nectar seed mix, selected to be attractive to bumblebees and other insects.

"Bumblebee specialists have calculated this area could have a significant and sustainable impact on increasing the beneficial insects’ population across more than a million hectares of UK farmland."

He added that involvement with Operation Bumblebee gains growers a valuable financial return - through points for environmental scheme compliance - a unique source of expertise and scientific knowledge, a great PR opportunity for UK farming and a real marketing edge. Maintaining sustainable, profitable farming with proven environmental benefits could also avoid future legislation, he believes.

"We have the research to show that Operation Bumblebee will have a very quick beneficial impact for such an important insect, as well as delivering a huge bonus for all biodiversity in the countryside. It’s a great opportunity to demonstrate to customers, consumers and politicians that high production farming, can continue perfectly well alongside biodiversity."

SOLAs add options for UK growers

The EU pesticide review could have had a catastrophic effect on crop protection options for fruit and vegetable growers, reported Vivian Powell, Technical Manager of the HDC. At the current trend, specialist crop growers could be left with less than 100 actives, with many products not being supported through the re-registration process. Restrictions imposed in the registration process are further limiting growers’ options, she added.

"We have seen the number of applications on some products reduced, such as Hallmark Zeon limited to just four applications - which could make Carrot Fly control extremely difficult. Changes in MRL legislation has seen further losses, such as aldicarb, which effectively can no longer be used on potatoes, carrots or parsnips.

"Retailer protocols also have an effect on growers’ crop protection options, so we need to ensure that they have a range of product availability to meet growers’ contract needs and practical solutions, including a workable resistance management strategy."

Ms Powell told growers at the ADAS/Syngenta UK Vegetable Industry Conference that the Specific Off Label Approval (SOLA) route could provide the answer for UK speciality crop growers. Extensive work by the HDC had already secured around 1700 SOLAs across the speciality crops, but others in the pipeline to fill critical gaps and give growers realistic in-field options.

She highlighted three recent SOLAs granted to the industry, using the different avenues of application open to the HDC: Switch fung