Potato Review

www.potatoreview.com POTATO REVIEW SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 5 NEWS Suggestions that a levy is still wanted or needed are wrong, say petitioners POTATO, vegetable and flower growers who led the campaign to abolish a statutory levy on potato and horticulture production, have expressed concern and disappointment by recent comments by NFU and Growers Better Levy Group representatives which they say suggest the industry supports a compulsory levy. Lincolnshire potato and vegetable grower John Bratley said: “In two decisive votes, two-thirds of growers rejected the idea of a statutory levy but in recent weeks he has seen comments which appear “to be trying to re-write this result and replace one statutory levy with another”. He referred to comments by NFU Horticulture & Potatoes board chair Ali Capper at the recent Festival of Fresh conference and a GBLG statement which suggested a small statutory levy was necessary to fund critical work. John said: “The vast majority of growers rejected the idea of a statutory levy. After all, the ballot was on the continuation of a compulsory levy, not the structure of the AHDB. Almost 61% of horticulture growers and more than 66% of potato growers rejected a compulsory levy.” Spalding-based vegetable farmer Peter Thorold added: “The GBLG represents just 3% of those businesses that were eligible to vote on the continuation of a statutory levy. They may well wish to jointly establish and fund their own non-statutory body for their own R&D. However, they must not be allowed to have their research needs subsidised by an industry-wide statutory levy which growers have overwhelmingly rejected. “In funding their own R&D they will be able to claim substantial tax relief which is not available under a statutory scheme. That in itself makes a bureaucratic statutory scheme a bad deal.” The petitioners say they were gratified by Defra Minister Victoria Prentiss’s comments, also made at the Festival of Fresh, when she said: “We must respect the result of the ballot.” John said: “It is good to hear that Defra at least recognises the strength of feeling from the industry and understands that the votes were a clear rejection of a statutory levy, which is in effect an additional and unnecessary tax on horticultural businesses.” Net Zero in Cornwall: Invitation to growers GROWERS in Cornwall have the opportunity to share knowledge and engage with activities to achieve net zero as part of a five-year, Lottery-funded project. Innovative Farmers, Farm Carbon Toolkit, Westcountry Rivers trust, Innovation for Agriculture, Duchy College and Just Farmers are involved in the project. Innovative Farmers will fund three field labs, testing farmer ideas for practical and nature-friendly routes to reduce and store carbon. The first of these field labs will be launching in spring 2022. The project is managed by Cornwall College. For further details, visit www. farmcarbontoolkit.org.uk/farm-net-zero. Hospitality recovery to be key topic for Casual Dining STRATEGIES for rebuilding the UK hospitality industry, which has taken a huge financial hit since the outbreak of COVID-19 leading many potato growers and suppliers to look at other outlets for their crops and products, will be amongst the topics discussed by speakers at the forthcoming Casual Dining show. Casual Dining takes place on September 23rd and 24th at ExCeL London and is co- located with lunch! and Commercial Kitchen. Registration is free for those in the trade. Vertical farm for research in Scotland Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) will be the first higher education institute in Scotland to open a vertical farm for research and education. It will build the half million-pound facility at its King’s Buildings campus in Edinburgh next year. The project, which has received a £200,000 grant from the Scottish Government, will be used in key research into plant and crop science and will also be used by students. Further training opportunities INVESTMENT in a new training facility which will offer agricultural-based training courses has been made in the North East of Scotland. Ringlink is investing in a simulator which will be designed for both agricultural and construction training. The facility will also be accessible for schools and colleges to give students the opportunity to get a ‘taster’ of career opportunities available.