UK must reduce fruit dependancy
Political landscape of fruit production cannot ignore 35 million virtual hectares
To reduce our dependence on land overseas we will need the public on side as well as politicians, NFU President Peter Kendall will tell growers at the Fruit Focus event being held today.
A recent report by Humboldt University in Berlin found that the European Union is relying on the output of 35 million virtual hectares in the rest of the world to meet its needs - about twice the UK’s agricultural land area.
Addressing the event in East Malling Mr Kendall will say: "We’re a developed economic block depending on less developed countries to meet our needs, at a time when the food security challenge is at the forefront of national and international debates. I think that’s a short-sighted and deeply flawed approach to take."
The Humboldt report concludes that the food needs of the world can only be met when the rich countries produce and export more food and not less as is sometimes argued. Armed with these alarming statistics, Mr Kendall will focus on the three main areas that the NFU would like to see the new Government focus on if horticulture is to play its full part in meeting the objectives laid down in the recently published Defra Structural Reform Plan.
"How the government acts on its investment in scientific research and applied technology is crucial to whether the food production challenge will be met. The NFU has called for as much of the agri-science budget to be protected as possible, even in this economic climate, and what we’re saying chimes with what David Willetts, the new Science Minister, is saying - arguing that research is at the core of enabling the country to get back on a sound economic footing."
Mr Kendall will also talk about regulation, describing the formation of the new farm regulation task force as encouraging but warning that the industry will need to play its part and provide examples of where red tape can be cut.
"We need to go through our processes and give concrete examples of what is holding us back, where the burden can be cut without cutting corners on standards of health and safety, employee protection and how we dispose of waste. I only have to look at my own business to see that it won’t be an easy task."
Mr Kendall will highlight areas of regulatory overlap that can be pruned, such as the Agricultural Wages Board, and the first test for the government’s commitment to trust growers when the EU Directive on Sustainable Use of Pesticides is implemented through UK legislation.
Finally Mr Kendall will set out how the government can create a policy framework that encourages investment despite the expected cuts in public finance. Commenting on taxation, investment allowances and planning policy he will say: "First we need some certainty so we can plan. Secondly we need a national planning strategy that recognises food production as a priority activity and sufficiently robust guidance to ensure local authorities take it into account."
Concluding his speech Mr Kendall will say that if the Government is serious about its policy objective of increasing fruit and vegetable production then ministers need to help to achieve that but the challenge to convince the public that domestic fruit production is a good news story is one that lies with industry.
"If we’re going to get our dependence on 35 million virtual hectares down, we will need the public on side as well as the politicians."
