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16 May Brexit

Foreign Fruit Picker Numbers Could Go Up, Not Down As Home Office Hopes

Former environment secretary George Eustice has said that the number of overseas workers who come to the UK to pick fruit and vegetables is likely to go up in the next few years, despite the government's insistence they'll come down.

20 Apr Environment

Beaver Bounceback

The reintroduction of beavers to the United Kingdom has been met with excitement from ecotourists and animal lovers – but some are worried it could come at a price. Chris Chafin reports. Illustrations by Tracy Worrall

Horticultural Trades Association Hosts Forum with Over 100 Members to Discuss Defra’s Peat Ban

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28 Mar Environment

Horticultural Trades Association Hosts Forum with Over 100 Members to Discuss Defra’s Peat Ban

On Monday, 27 March 2023, the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) hosted a town hall meeting with more than 100 sector professionals to discuss last week's decision by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) regarding the ban on peat.

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23 Mar Environment

HTA statement on Defra decision on peat

James Barnes, Chairman, HTA commented:

24 Feb Environment

Why Are Supermarkets Running Out Of Some Fruits And Vegetables?

Some supermarkets have placed sales limits on certain fruits and vegetables as a result of shortages of certain products including tomatoes and salad leaves.

03 Feb Environment

Britain's waterways: do we need a right to connect or the right to clean rivers?

While the government rightly looks to growth, innovation and the housing that the United Kingdom desperately needs, the discussion needs to also address the fact that much of England’s water courses and wastewater infrastructure is still living in the 19th century.

HTA response to the GB Plant Biosecurity Strategy 2023 to 2028

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09 Jan Environment

HTA response to the GB Plant Biosecurity Strategy 2023 to 2028

The Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) welcomes the Government launching its five-year GB Biosecurity Strategy. Significantly, the strategy proposes to increase the level of collaboration between Defra and industry in order to facilitate safe trade and reduce the risks posed by pests and diseases. Additionally, Defra outlines plans for a campaign aimed at the general public to increase awareness of the importance of plants, as well as improved plant health understanding at educational level. HTA is a signatory to the Plant Health Accord, which aims to raise awareness of the importance of plant health to the public.

HTA’s calls for increase in seasonal worker visas granted by Defra

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19 Dec 2022 Environment

HTA’s calls for increase in seasonal worker visas granted by Defra

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) today announced a significant increase in the number of seasonal worker visas that will be available to the horticulture industry for 2023. This will rise to 45,000 from 30,000 this year (the new figure could rise by a further 10,000 if necessary next year) and includes an early allocation for Daffodil growers. The Horticultural Trades Association (HTA), which has been campaigning for an increase in the available workforce to meet demand in the industry, approves of what it calls a ‘step-change’ decision in the Government’s policy.

03 Oct 2022 Environment

Committee Corner – Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee chair Robert Goodwill on his in-tray

Liz Truss certainly has a full in-tray. The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee will be doing its bit to make constructive recommendations on some of the key items as she settles in.

09 Aug 2022 Economy

Fears Blackouts Could Lead To Empty Supermarket Shelves Raised By Government

Exclusive: The government has asked figures in the food and drink industry for their views on how major power outages could affect food supplies in the UK, as concern grows over how the energy crisis could cause widespread disruption in the coming months.

03 Aug 2022 Environment

Food Prices Could Rise By Almost A Fifth This Autumn, Officials Believe

Exclusive: Food inflation could come close to 20% this year, some government officials believe, in the latest glimpse of the worsening cost-of-living crisis that awaits Boris Johnson's successor.

24 May 2022 Environment

Who will be the next chair of the Efra Committee?

Last month’s resignation of Tory MP Neil Parish left more than just his Devon constituency seat vacant, it also left the Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Efra) Committee without a chair.

DEFRA Minister visits BPF House for Q&A event

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21 Apr 2022 Environment

DEFRA Minister visits BPF House for Q&A event

On Wednesday 20th April, Jo Churchill MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at DEFRA and the Minister responsible for recycling and waste, visited BPF House to give the keynote speech at an event on recycling, co-hosted by the BPF and The Enterprise Forum.

HTA welcomes EFRA Committee report findings on workforce shortages

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06 Apr 2022 Environment

HTA welcomes EFRA Committee report findings on workforce shortages

22 Mar 2022 Environment

Chicken Will Get More Expensive In The UK After Putin's Ukraine Invasion

Environment Secretary George Eustice has warned that the price of chicken in the UK will spike as a result of Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, in the latest pressure on household bills.

09 Jan 2022 Environment

Government Accused Of "Blind Optimism" Over Post-Brexit Farming Plans

Defra's post-Brexit payment plan for farmers is based on “blind optimism” and the lack of information is "concerning", according to a powerful committee of MPs.

20 Oct 2021 Environment

Pig Culling Will Continue For Weeks With Visa Scheme Rollout Set To Take Until Next Month

The culling of pigs is set to continue for another few weeks with the majority of foreign butchers recruited under the government's new visa scheme not expected to be working in the UK until mid November, industry figures have told PoliticsHome.

17 Sep 2021 Environment

Beer, Fizzy Drinks And Meat Supplies Threatened By CO2 Shortages, Ministers Warned

Exclusive: The government is bracing itself for supplies of beer, fizzy drinks and meat to be hit by a severe shortage of CO2, with supermarkets and restaurants expected to be affected in the coming days.

31 Aug 2021 Environment

Geronimo The Alpaca Has Been Killed After Weeks Of Protests

Geronimo, the alpaca at the centre of an ongoing legal dispute between the government and its owner, has been put down, the government has confirmed.

20 Jul 2021 Coronavirus

Food And Haulage Firms Slate Government's "On The Hoof" Plan To Decide Who Can Skip Isolation

Pressure is mounting on the government to publish a list of which sectors have critical workers after they announced that more people in strategic jobs can request to avoid isolation if they test negative for Covid-19.

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21 Jun 2021 Environment

BREAKING: UK Government launches Call for Evidence to consider a fur import and sales ban

New poll shows strong public majority in support of a ban

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16 Jun 2021 Environment

Horticultural Trades Association predicts tree shortage issues for government targets

HTA Board member Brian Fraser appeared before the House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) select committee yesterday (Tuesday) to give evidence to the panel outlining the industry view that the Government's failure to engage with the sector before setting targets for tree planting will mean that they will most likely miss these targets as growers cannot meet demand in the time frame outlined.

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18 May 2021 Environment

HTA responds to Defra’s England Trees Action Plan

The Horticultural Trades Association has welcomed the latest tree action plan for England to emerge from Defra today, but warns that the plan is short on the necessary detail - particularly for boosting UK nursery production. Market place confidence is needed by the industry if the Government’s plans are to be realised, they stated.

12 May 2021 Brexit

Minister Refuses To Apologise To Shellfish Industry For Post-Brexit Trade Collapse

The fisheries minister has refused to say sorry for the government's handling of the post-Brexit shellfish saga amid tough questions from exporters whose sales to the European Union have been torpedoed since the New Year.