top of page
Grower Groups to Share £1.9m in AHDB Horticulture Levy Funding
The UK horticultural industry is set to benefit from £1.9 million in grants to support a series of legacy projects across field vegetables, tree fruit, soft fruit, protected edibles, and ornamentals, following an agreement on how remaining AHDB horticulture levy reserves should be allocated. Over three years from April 2026 to March 2029, the residual funds will be distributed through grants to 22 grower associations to help address key challenges faced by growers and to str
Belgian Strawberry Sector Slashes Fungicide Use With UV-C Technology
Almost half of Belgium’s strawberry growers are using autonomous UV-C robots to combat pests and persistent fungi like powdery mildew, resulting in an 80% reduction in fungicide use, and marking a major shift towards sustainable, high-tech practices within the sector. Image: VLAM The innovation is rapidly becoming a core part of production infrastructure, with the autonomous UV-C (Ultraviolet-C) robots being rolled out on a large scale across Belgium’s strawberry sector. Fol
UK Leek Growers Turn To Genetics As Pressures Intensify
UK leek production is under growing pressure from climate volatility, rising input costs, and a steady reduction in available crop protection tools, prompting growers to place increasing emphasis on plant genetics and breeding innovation as a route to resilience. Image: Patrick Allpress | British Leeks For Cambridgeshire-based Allpress Farms, the long-term future of leek production will depend on how effectively farming systems, technology, and crop breeding evolve in step wi
FEATURED
Sarah-Jayne Gratton
Sarah-Jayne Gratton
Sarah-Jayne Gratton
British Berries Reap Strong Retailer Support This Season
Several major UK supermarkets are actively backing British-grown berries over imports this season, including strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries, as growers face cost pressures. Retailers are strategically strengthening domestic produce sourcing by reinforcing their commitment to British growers and farmers through long-term partnerships that offer supply chain resilience. Added to that, this year’s early British berry crop is leading to less reliance on
Lidl Launches Community Trial To Redistribute More Surplus Food
Lidl GB is introducing a new partnership with food-sharing app Olio as it looks to scale up its surplus food redistribution across the UK and meet a 2030 food waste reduction target. Image: Lidl GB The “landmark collaboration” with Olio will operate initially across 20 Lidl stores in London and northern England from 15 May, and marks an expansion of Lidl's long-running food redistribution programme with Neighbourly, according to a press release from the discount retailer. If
Rising Food Insecurity Prompts Bold £30m Meal Fundraising Target From Sainsbury's
More than one in six parents in the UK have put their children to bed hungry at least once a week and skipped meals over the past year because they could not access or afford enough food, according to new research commissioned by Comic Relief and Sainsbury’s. The growing scale of food insecurity across the country exposed by the report has prompted Sainsbury’s to launch a £30 million fundraising push for Comic Relief, which is aimed at delivering 60 million meals by the end o
King’s Speech Expected To Sidestep Peat Ban As Industry Uncertainty Deepens
Fresh uncertainty is hanging over the UK horticulture sector amid reports that the Government’s upcoming King’s Speech is unlikely to include long-awaited legislation to ban peat use. According to industry sources cited by HortWeek, the omission is linked to ongoing discussions surrounding a UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement, expected later this summer, which will need to address the complex issue of imported plants grown in peat-based media. The prospect of an
Berry-Picking Robots Edge Closer To Commercial Reality
Autonomous harvesting could soon become a far more familiar sight across British soft fruit farms after Cambridge-based agritech company Fieldwork Robotics secured £3m in fresh investment and grant funding to accelerate commercial trials of its raspberry-picking robots. The funding package includes a £2.2m investment round led by Elbow Beach Capital, alongside additional grant backing, including support linked to Innovate UK programmes aimed at advancing on-farm adoption of n
Hall Hunter Marks 60 Years At The Heart Of British Berry Growing
One of Britain’s best-known berry producers is celebrating a major milestone, as Hall Hunter Partnership marks 60 years of growing fruit in the UK. The family-owned business, founded by Mark and Mary Hall in 1966, began life supplying salad crops and vegetables to London wholesale markets while also offering Pick Your Own experiences. Six decades later, the company has become one of the UK’s leading berry growers and is now recognised as the country’s largest blueberry produc
SUBSCRIBE TO US FOR FREE
AND NEVER MISS A STORY
bottom of page