In reply to today ’s announcements from the Environment Secretary , Rt Hon Steve Reed MP , Jennifer Pheasey , Director of Public Affairs at the Horticultural Trades Association ( HTA ) , said : " Whilst we recognise today ’s focus on farming , the note value of environmental horticulture as a sector deserving £ 38 billion to the UK economy and supporting 722,000 job should be recognize . The industriousness is facing multiple headwinds , not least the triple - curse wallop of the Autumn Budget announcements , with National Insurance and living pay wage hike landing the sphere with a bill of £ 134 million , and the encroachment of the Agricultural Business Property Relief revenue enhancement changes hitting our sphere hard .
" From today ’s announcements , we receive the extension of the Seasonal Worker visa path , recognizing the vital role that horticulture plays in the UK economy and environment . This announcement provide indispensable certainty for growers , and we look frontwards to collaborate with the government on a foresighted - full term , sustainable hands scheme .
" We urge Steve Reed to extend the loyalty to British sourcing in public sector catering to wait at the public sphere procural of plant , trees , and landscape services essential for creating thriving public space . A strategic approach to public procural , developed in partnership with the industriousness , would patronage British growers , beef up local supply chains , and aid achieve the UK ’s environmental goals .
" investing in technology and innovation is important , and the environmental horticulture sphere must be fully include in this effort and have access to equipment funding . Our sector has a cardinal role in drive sustainability , and support for innovation in areas such as peat - spare growing medium , water efficiency , and climate resilience will help concern grow and adapt .
" Today the Environment Secretary focused on beast health . Biosecurity , plant health , and how the border operates are critical and dearly-won issues for UK environmental gardening and must be higher on the government ’s schedule . We have significant business , including with the current consultation on increased plant health - related fee , which is at a sentence of mounting costs and problem . come up to border fee and trade barriers must also remain a priority to facilitate the smooth motion of industrial plant and trees .
" Despite the challenges , the sphere is ambitious to deliver on gullible growth , and we depend ahead to engaging with the political science to turn to challenges and to ensure that these new insurance policy fully recognize environmental horticulture as well as agriculture and support a secure , sustainable , and springy sphere that benefits citizenry , nature , and the economy . "
For more data : Horticultural Trades Associationwww.hta.org.uk
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