In This Issue
36 pages of Garden Centre Christmas Greatness - GTN Jan-Feb Issue On-line now
Private equity backed management buyout at Mr Fothergill's Seeds
Meadow View Stone 2022 – Largest stock reserves and increased production capacity gives customers confidence
A big welcome to the spooktacular 2022 Halloween range at Heaven Sends, ready to pre-order NOW!
Wear something floral as tribute to Peter Seabrook
Boom time for Primulas
Another accolade for multi-award-winning Barton Grange
Old Railway Line Garden Centre celebrate award win
Bents celebrates 85th anniversary with arrival of Lakeland
Get ready for the GIMA Golf Day
Glee Innovators – where are they now?
We love gardening
Garden Re-Leaf supporters unveil plans for big day
Wyevale Nurseries celebrates successful youth promotion
Garden centres receive awards at virtual presentation day
Burpee Europe team waves wand of positivity
Free demonstrations relaunch at Dobbies Garden Centres
GTN’s Greatest Christmas Award winners revealed
Get your copy of GTN Xtra
Let’s grow and propagate
February growing media sales up by 71% on 2019
Onion sets the pace
HTA’s OMC concerned about burden to businesses caused by plant health inspections
Hillier unveils its 2022 new plant introduction
HTA wins ‘Best Sector Representation’ Award at Trade Association Forum Best Practice Awards 2022
AIPH announces International Horticultural Expo Conference in Dubai
Online tropical plant retailer blooms with expansion into new unit
EGO embarks on reforestation project
Selling more garden furniture with Augmented Reality
The best of last week's
British Garden Centres buy Timmermans to make it 59
Bosworths plan for move to new site
Cherry Lane acquires Retford & Gainsborough Garden Centre
Notcutts celebrates 125th anniversary at new-look Woodbridge
Spring Fair closes on a high
Bestsellers Top 50 charts every week
Buy your subscription to the GTN Bestsellers printed weekly newsletter
WHM Pet Group flies the flag for sustainability
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Email trevor@pottingshedpress.co.uk or call the GTN News team on 07973 504214

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


HTA’s OMC concerned about burden to businesses caused by plant health inspections
 

The HTA’s Ornamental Management Committee (OMC) has serious concerns that the plant health inspection regime is not fit for purpose and will not deliver satisfactory biosecurity controls for the UK. 

 

With the introduction of Border Control Points less than six months away, the unsatisfactory inspection process was a key discussion point at yesterday’s grower representative committee meeting, and attendees agreed it seems things will only get worse from 1 July when new rules come into effect and costs look set to rise dramatically.  

 

The meeting’s regular ‘state of trade’ agenda item was dominated by a familiar theme of supply chain issues, with the ever-increasing cost of plastics being mentioned by all of those present, and continued difficulties with recruitment and retention, particularly of skilled staff for permanent roles. Discussions on the issue of seasonal labour also highlighted the lack of provision for ornamental horticulture businesses via the Seasonal Workers Pilot Scheme, with several members commenting that they’d been told by agencies the places had already been allocated. 

 

The HTA’s new Technical Horticulture Manager, Wayne Brough, outlined his plans for a Technical Communications Strategy and the group agreed his proposal of forming an Ornamentals Technical Committee, made up of up-and-coming growers and technical managers. This group will hold their first meeting next month and will have a remit that considers growing media, research and development and funding, sustainability, labour and automation and plant protection products (PPPs) and approvals. 

 

There was also discussion about the need to produce member guidance on claiming back R&D tax credits. With the dissolution of AHDB horticulture, funding for research and development is now difficult to identify and so the HTA will also be looking into what is available in terms of funding.   

 

An agenda item on sustainability led to the group asking that the HTA investigate and develop a standardised and appropriate scheme for the auditing of carbon footprints/lifecycle for the horticulture industry. 

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