MPs have been briefed by the HTA on the garden industry’s hopes and concerns post-Brexit

The HTA presented evidence at a Select Committee Inquiry and to 19 parliamentarians at a joint dinner held by the All Party Gardening & Horticulture Group and the EFRA Select Committee.

HTA director of horticulture Raoul Curtis-Machin gave evidence at the inquiry into Brexit - Trade in Food after the Select Committee requested that the ornamentals sector should be represented. Curtis-Machin described the opportunity for ornamental horticulture to play an important role in a future UK Agriculture and Environment policy which valued public environment benefits first and foremost. He also described the import substitution opportunity: incentivise UK plant producers to grow more UK plants to boost the economy and also mitigate against biosecurity threats such as Xylella.

The hour-long session also covered pesticides, herbicides and regulatory frameworks like water abstraction, new customs arrangements, and a replacement Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme. The HTA were there alongside agriculture, fresh produce and fruit, and followed up with written evidence.

At the APPGHG dinner at the House of Lords, Curtis-Machin spoke about a  ector deal for ornamental horticulture, which could be developed through the industrial strategy or through Defra as a new environmental and agricultural framework emerges post-Brexit.

Stan Green, former HTA president and MD of Growforth, highlighted the need for more ornamental and landscape horticulture expertise and knowledge in Defra. He said many problems and issues would be far more easily dealt with if there was a decent basic understanding of horticultural principles in Defra – a notion that drew resounding support from the policymakers, who offered to help HTA build its case.

Brian Fraser, general manager at Oakover Nurseries, spoke about import substitution and biosecurity. He said the UK had a great opportunity to boost production while enhancing its biosecurity. Simple fiscal incentives, including tax breaks and grants, would stimulate nursery expansion. He drew a comparison with the British film industry, which had grown under similar conditions.

John Adlam (right), HTA nursery adviser and founder of Dove Associates, introduced the topics of labour and water availability – two essential needs for the industry – mentioning a report about to be launched by the Water for Food Group (coalition of HTA, NFU, CLA and other stakeholders), which asks Government to classify water used for food and container plant production as an essential need. Currently, water supplies could be switched off to food and ornamentals producers in the event of a drought order, because their water use was not classed as essential. This proposal was also received warmly by the policymakers, who again offered support in efforts to influence Government.