The Authorities has introduced that horticulture companies may have entry to the Industrial Vitality Transformation Fund (IETF) to assist lower their vitality payments, with the Nationwide Farmers’ Union (NFU) stating it’s a “main win” as British growers really feel the stress from “hovering” vitality prices.
The necessity for better vitality safety for the horticulture sector was a key theme throughout Downing Avenue’s 2023 Farm to Fork summit and Defra’s announcement follows continued NFU lobbying.
Nevertheless, the NFU expressed its disappointment that poultry manufacturing, one other “vitality intensive” sector, had not been included.
NFU president Minette Batters stated: “The horticulture sector invests closely in renewables and vitality environment friendly techniques, however sharply rising enter prices over the previous 18 months, notably for vitality, have put many companies on a knife edge. We’ve got repeatedly made the case that that is threatening the viability of many crops, together with peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, and people with long run storage similar to apples and potatoes.
“One of many key outcomes from the Farm to Fork Summit at Downing Avenue was the necessity for better vitality safety, so we’re more than happy that Authorities has responded to our calls to recognise vitality intensive horticultural manufacturing inside future vitality value assist measures. As now we have acknowledged many occasions, it’s essential that each one excessive vitality crops are recognised inside this announcement, together with protected cropping and people with long run storage.
“We’re looking for pressing clarification on the eligibility for horticulture companies and the method by which they’ll register for the Industrial Vitality Transformation Fund (IETF) to assist mitigate in opposition to excessive vitality prices and supply confidence to develop and put money into future manufacturing.
“The NFU stays extraordinarily disenchanted over the dearth of assist for poultry manufacturing – one other sector that’s vitality intensive the place ongoing, hovering manufacturing prices are placing producers below immense stress. We name on Authorities to do the whole lot it could actually in order that the poultry sector is ready to proceed producing high quality, reasonably priced eggs and poultry meat which we all know is valued vastly by the general public.”
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