In This Issue
Pughs cancel their award winning Christmas Grotto for 2020
Face masks from Global Journey are a garden centre bestseller
How garden centres can adapt to a sustainable and successful long-term online strategy
Riding High into the Summer Holidays
Dobbies and Sainsbury’s launch grocery partnership
First UK visitors to Kaemingk showroom after lockdown
Million Bells are No 1 for the first time
No financial support for English plant growers
Woodlodge acquires Adobe Wholesale and The Garden Foundry
PATS Telford is added to the list of Autumn trade show cancellations
Growing media sales up by 69%
New serious-but-stylish additions to the Sophie Conran for Burgon & Ball range
Find out more about the UK’s first truly sustainable firewood brand, Kindwood
Honeyfield’s and RSPB are going on the road
Bosch and Gardena establish battery alliance
Sipcam Home & Garden becomes the exclusive distributor of Blumen International’s leading product portfolio in the UK and Republic of Ireland
Seeds of change in Wild Bird Care
Merchandiser/ Area representative
Plant Area Manager, Goonhavern Garden Centre, Cornwall.
Get your own copy of GTN Xtra
Two thirds of Garden Products sales gap made up
“We’re on your side” - Premium Christmas Trees vows to make it easier for retailers to drive sales of Christmas Trees this festive season
HTA launches ‘Keep Britain Growing’ Campaign
GIC and Haith Group bag new orders from Kelkay
PetQuip Awards will recognise industry’s outstanding achievements in an innovative format for 2020
The best of last week's
New Investors and re-structure at Fountasia
Face covers are bestsellers in advance of becoming compulsory
Lockdown gap for plant sales won’t be made up
GIMA holds virtual AGM and elects Simon McArdle of Westland Horticulture as President
Amazing recovery continues
Garden Centre Photo Tours
Haskins Snowhill re-opens after £15m re-vamp
Bestsellers Top 50 charts every week
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No financial support for English plant growers
 

The Department of Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has confirmed that there will be no financial support given to English plant growers through a compensation scheme.

In response to that confirmation the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) Chairman, James Barnes, said: “The decision by DEFRA not to provide financial support to ornamental growers is hugely disappointing and a significant blow for many English plant nurseries.

 

“Since March the HTA and the National Farmers' Union (NFU) have been engaged with Defra to work towards a positive outcome and provided robust evidence that supported the need for a grant aid scheme - like the one put in place by the Dutch government to save its industry. The Northern Ireland Executive has accepted the need. We’re continuing discussions with the Scottish Government for a support package.

 

“We were successful in leading the campaign to get garden centres re-opened within the first phase of relaxing lockdown and that was very welcome for the sector. However, more than half of British ornamental growers (52%) expect a further downturn in sales throughout July as they have not been able to plant crops during lockdown and this has increased imports.

 

“Dutch and other European countries with garden centres that remained open and that have supported their industries are already taking advantage of this. While UK garden centres have a strong track record of sourcing British plants, the pressures of COVID-19 has forced many to look abroad, with almost three-quarters of retailers (72%) claiming that they are currently unable to get the stock of bedding plants their business needs from UK growers.

 

“Meanwhile, the recently proposed Border Operating Model and new January trading arrangements represent a very significant challenge for the sector in just a few months’ time. These proposals would, if remain unchanged, deal another blow to an already weakened sector.

 

“Now, more than ever, we need to support domestic production to provide resilience that comes with a strong UK based horticultural industry.

 

“My primary concern is that the value of this £24bn industry is not fully recognised within Government, both economically and in terms of its contribution to the Government’s 25 Year Environmental plan and the nations wider climate change ambitions.

 

“We welcome DEFRA’s commitment to work with the industry on developing a strategic recovery plan for the sector. We do believe that with the right recognition and policies this industry can become an engine of growth in a post-COVID, post-Brexit world.

 

“Confidence is a hugely powerful instrument in delivering growth and while there will be many things that we the industry and government can do to help this, in the long run, we look to government now to show willing by giving priority to the following: Assurance that garden centres will retain ‘essential retailer’ classification for future COVID-19 related planning, ensuring that forthcoming Brexit trade arrangements will balance free trade with the UK’s biosecurity needs – and to work with the industry to understand the complex supply chain issues and spearheading a ‘Buy British’ campaign for all direct and local government procurement processes for forthcoming landscape projects.”

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