Food: Production
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to increase domestic fruit and vegetable production to improve food security.
Answered by Dame Angela Eagle
The Government is committed to our horticulture sector and its role in providing fresh home-grown produce that helps to feed the nation.
Future support for the horticulture sector is being considered as part of Defra’s work to simplify and rationalise agricultural grant funding, ensuring that grants deliver the most benefit for food security and taxpayer value. The new Farming and Food Partnership Board, bringing together industry and government leaders, will also develop tailored growth plans for sectors including horticulture.
27% of the Farming Innovation Programme (FIP) grant awards to date, over £41 million, has been granted to research projects benefiting the horticulture sector, offering targeted opportunities for fruit and vegetable businesses to become more profitable, resilient, and sustainable. Further opportunities for farmer and grower led trials to test ideas and solutions are also now available in FIP via ADOPT grants, and we have committed to allocating at least £200 million to FIP through to 2030.
Wider Government support includes: the five-year extension to the Seasonal Worker visa route, providing much needed stability and certainty to businesses and extending the easement on import checks on medium risk fruit and vegetables ahead of the new SPS agreement deal with the EU.
Verbatim has judged this answer against the question that was actually asked — answered, partly answered, or evaded. Sign in to see the verdict →