The Government has set out a ‘Blueprint for Growing the Fruit and Vegetable Sector’. This was launched as part of the Prime Minister’s Farm-to-Fork Summit at Downing Street. The aim is to increase the proportion of fruit and vegetables consumed in the UK that are produced domestically.
A key element of the plan is a replacement for the legacy EU Fruit & Vegetable Aid Scheme which used Producer Organisations (POs) to distribute grant support to the sector. This will be replaced in 2026 by a new ‘Horticulture Resilience and Growth Offer’. This will be open to all parts of the edible horticulture sector, ranging from large-scale field crops, such as potatoes, through to glasshouse production and vertical farms. Whilst collaborative ventures will still be encouraged, the previous requirement for applicants to be in a PO will be dropped – individual growers will be able to apply. Funding will be doubled from current levels to £80m. Of this, £10m will be earmarked for orchard growers to access equipment, technology and infrastructure.
Other measures set out in the blueprint include;
- address the issues that Controlled Environment Horticulture (CEH) (e.g. glasshouses) have with energy. Specifically, this may classify CEH with other ‘energy-intensive’ sectors and make it eligble for targeted support
- reform to the Planning regime to allow glasshouses to be built more quickly
- a fund of £50m (seemingly on top of the £80m for the Horticulture Resilience and Growth Offer) to support packhouse automation
- explore how long-term cold storage of products can be supported to allow UK produce to be sold year-round
- ensure other support, such as the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and Farming Investment Fund (FIF) is suited to the horticulture sector
- invest £15m in Genetic Improvement Networks (GIN) and establish a new GIN for soft fruit
See https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-blueprint-to-grow-the-uk-fruit-and-vegetable-sector for more details.