The British Growers Association has welcomed the Government’s commitment to continue funding Producer Organisations (POs) until the end of the current parliament.
Jack Ward, British Grower’s Chief Executive said: “This announcement, together with the inclusion of a framework for Producer Organisations in the Agriculture Bill, gives a degree of certainty for the fresh produce industry and for the 32 Producer Organisations currently in operation.
“This has been a team effort involving the NFU, Savill’s, and the team at Defra, who have all played their part and worked with British Growers to bring us to this point. The arguments for a strong Producer Organisation scheme remain the same: we need at least a level playing field with our competitors in Europe, and POs provide a simple, efficient and cost-effective way to promote innovation and collaboration in the sector.