Prime minister Liz Truss has launched her dash for growth with a bid to produce more tomatoes, lettuces, and cucumbers in Britain.
According to media reports, the government is launching a new ‘salad offensive’ as they scramble to make farms more productive.
Ideas are being batted around as part of the government’s dash for growth agenda. Britain currently produces just 25 percent of cucumbers and 17 percent of tomatoes.
Environment Secretary Ranil Jayawardena will go to the Netherlands next week to study the ‘Dutch model’ of high-tech greenhouses and vertical farming.
Jayawardena, one of Liz’s closest allies, said that “our Dutch neighbours are experts in glasshouse growing, so I want to see how we can expand this sector back home and grow more outstanding British produce.”
Nigel Jenney, Chief Executive of the UK’s Fresh Produce Consortium, stated that the country can’t afford to be complacent and should grasp the opportunity to evolve and grow.
FPC has worked with its members to develop innovative new solutions for the industry, which lie in making agriculture ‘smarter’ by developing and adopting new technologies and innovations.
FPC has been pro-actively looking at new ways to bridge the disconnect between the next generation of agricultural and horticultural workers and the perception of the industry as a whole and “we believe we’ve found some vital solutions” he explained.
“There needs to be a fundamental shift in the perception and overall infrastructure of our food supply system.
Last week it was reported that Truss has pledged to slash red tape in the UK agriculture industry to allow farmers to spend more time producing food.
“We’re also soon going to be announcing a package to help food producers and farmers to deliver more for people, as well as reduce the red tape on farms, and make sure they’re getting the government’s full support so they can produce more food at affordable prices,” Truss said during a series of interviews with BBC local radio stations on Sept 29.
Brian McLister