Horticulture and potatoes sector resilience plan
The recent government ambition to grow this sector provides an opportunity to be a world leader in productivity.
NFU Horticulture and Potatoes Board chair Martin Emmett
Martin is a director of Tristram Plants, part of a co-operative, which grows and markets over 2,000 plant varieties and generates more than £50m annual retail sales. He was elected chair of the NFU Horticulture and Potatoes Board in 2022.
“The UK horticulture sector has risen rapidly up the political agenda in recent years and has been supported significantly by the publication of the NFU Horticulture Strategy in early 2023. In it, we set out ten core policy priorities to support sector growth and to remove the barriers which are damaging grower confidence.
“Two successive government Farm to Fork Summits held since our Strategy was published, in spring 2023 and 2024, have shown how the sector has been prioritised. The previous government delivered a number of important commitments, many of which are being carried forward by the new government and others we remain in dialogue over.
“With a new government in place, it is essential that we continue to build on the progress to date, and that we harness the support of policymakers to grow this important and valuable sector.”
“They have included a commitment to developing a replacement to the legacy EU Fruit & Veg Aid scheme, with a doubling of funding for the horticulture sector, plus additional funding for packhouse automation. We also secured a longer term commitment on seasonal labour, the inclusion of horticulture within the IETF (Industrial Energy Transformation Fund), and a commitment to ease planning rules around glasshouse production.
“The NFU Horticulture Growth Strategy was updated again in 2024 and will have a further refresh later this year to ensure it reflects the new government's own ambitions.
“This sector resilience plan picks out some of the strategy’s priorities and achievements, and those most closely linked to improvements in productivity, environmental sustainability and net zero. These are areas which are critical to ensuring we remain resilient in an ever-evolving supply chain where the delivery of environmentally-friendly products needs to go hand in hand with productive and profitable businesses.
“With a new government in place, it is essential that we continue to build on the progress to date, and that we harness the support of policymakers to grow this important and valuable sector. Critically, we need to deliver confidence to UK growers so they continue to invest now and into the future.”
NFU Horticulture and Potatoes Board chair Martin Emmett
Wins and achievements
We are making progress
- Government recognising the need to replace the EU Fruit & Veg aid scheme, while doubling existing funding levels and making it more inclusive across the broader horticultural sector.
- IETF (Inclusion of Horticulture within the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund)
- Relaxation of crop specifications in response to weather extremes, therefore reducing food waste.
Productivity and sustainability priorities
- A planning system which allows for upgrades of existing infrastructure to newer and more efficient construction, such as cold stores and reservoirs. This also requires greater consistency to support, rather than constrict horticultural business growth.
- Ensure government delivers on funding commitments made at the Farm to Fork Summit for a more inclusive EU Fruit & Veg Aid scheme replacement, as well as commitments on packhouse productivity and cold storage.
- Investment into more resilient varieties, and a commitment from industry to promote uptake.
- As the sector is vulnerable to drought and the challenges from reductions/revocations of abstraction licences, greater investment is needed in infrastructure to collect, store and distribute water both on farms and within and between regions.
- Access to GHG calculators which reflect the sector’s complexities and which are underpinned by rigorous life cycle analysis data.
SFI actions
Many of the actions that the NFU has been calling for are now included within the Sustainable Farming Incentive. To find the SFI actions that best suit your farm visit GOV.UK Find funding for land or farms.
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Horticulture and potatoes sector priorities
Our priorities look at the benefits of climate-friendly farming, the barriers we might face, and the support needed from government, industry and R&D.
Pillar 1 – On-farm efficiency
LCA (Life cycle assessment)
Member opportunities
- Better understanding of GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions throughout supply chain.
- Increase confidence for accuracy of GHG footprinting tools.
Barriers
- Very little LCA (life cycle assessment) data available for horticulture.
- Limited number of GHG footprinting tools and significant gaps in representing the diversity of the sector.
- Highly complex and variable sector, meaning significant investment for each crop.
NFU asks
- Research and development along with investment into producing appropriate LCA data for the sector.
GHG footprinting and benchmarking
Member opportunities
- Allow growers to identify strengths and areas for improvement, particularly when able to benchmark against similar businesses.
- Inform future decision making.
Barriers
- Lack of suitable GHG footprinting tools for the sector.
- GHG footprint primarily supply chain rather than grower led.
- Niche and varied nature of our sector provides limited opportunities for benchmarking, and increases commercial sensitivity of data, leading to an unwillingness to share data.
NFU asks
- Consistent methodology between GHG calculators.
- Better advice and guidance to support uptake of GHG calculations and on-farm recording.
- R&D/funding for developing GHG footprinting tools that better reflect the industry.
NUE (nitrogen use efficiency) improvements
Member opportunities
- Optimise/reduce inorganic nitrogen fertiliser inputs without (significantly) impacting output.
- Reduce fuel inputs.
Barriers
- Capital cost of efficient new machinery.
- Lower carbon alternatives to inorganic N not yet commercially available at scale.
NFU asks
- Grant funding for new equipment.
- Investment into alternative inputs.
Productivity improvements
Member opportunities
- Reduce energy usage.
- Potential to reduce costs.
- Improve resource use efficiency.
- Increased store efficiency.
Barriers
- Cost – often has low or long-term payback.
- Confidence – often very long returns amid current market uncertainty.
NFU asks
- Government support tax breaks, capital grants and planning policy, for building/store improvements/refurbishments (non-market altering), such as insulation/ LEDs.
- Government support for rainwater harvesting.
Plastics – field use and packaging
Member opportunities
- Reduced GHG footprint.
Barriers
- Lack of suitable alternative materials.
- Consumer buying habits.
- Retailer specifications.
- Cost of trialling plastic alternatives and the machinery required to handle new materials.
NFU asks
- Grant funding for plastic alternatives and the machinery/tools required to handle that material.
- R&D for plastic alternatives and the machinery/tools required to handle that material.
Growing media
Member opportunities
- Reduced GHG footprint.
- To be business-ready ahead of potential legislative bans.
Barriers
- Peat alternatives are not biologically suitable for some crops.
- Alternatives to peat can require a complete overhaul of apparatus and infrastructure, such as irrigation and handling equipment. This is a huge business investment.
- Risk of GHG footprint being exported as growers may have to compete with imported produce still grown using peat.
- Limited data on the environmental impacts of peat alternatives.
NFU asks
- Sufficient and affordable access to consistent and reliable alternative growing media for the whole horticulture industry and to allow the industry to make timely investments needed to transition away from peat.
- Active government support, such as capital grants, knowledge-exchange funding and other types of support, to underpin R&D into commercially viable alternative materials, adoption of non-peat-based production systems and business adaption across the industry.
Pillar 2 – Nature-based solutions
Carbon sequestration – hedges, trees, soil and perennial crops
Member opportunities
- Linked benefits – biodiversity.
- Boundary trees and hedges can improve both security and privacy.
- Air quality improvements.
- Good news story, which is easy to communicate to the public.
Barriers
- For some horticultural sectors, opportunities will be very limited.
- Tenants often can't plant trees.
- Land devaluation due to limiting commercial potential.
- Lack of knowledge of what and where to plant for best results.
NFU asks
- Financial incentive and protection from land devaluation.
Pillar 3 – Agriculture serving the wider economy
Making the most of renewables
Member opportunities
- Increase energy security by reducing dependence on the grid.
- Insulate business from external energy prices.
- Potential income via export of surplus energy.
Barriers
- Cost – can have long or uncertain payback (although reduced currently due to high energy prices).
- Planning constraints.
- Lack of on-farm technical expertise and/or knowledge in renewable energy solutions.
- Poor national grid infrastructure.
NFU asks
- Easier planning process for renewables.
- Government investment in infrastructure, or financial support for farmers to improve, such as upgrading to 3-phase power supply.
- Incentive schemes to increase uptake.
Glossary
GHG – Greenhouse Gas
IETF – Industrial Energy Transformation Fund
LCA – Life cycle assessment
NUE – Nitrogen Use Efficiency
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