The government should provide more support to growers of salad items, with production expected to fall to the lowest level since records began as high energy costs bite, the head of the National Farmers Union said on Tuesday, February 21.
Horticulture has been excluded from a government Energy and Trade Intensive Industries scheme (ETII) that provides help with energy costs, while the country's botanical gardens are included, reports www.reuters.com.
NFU president Minette Batters said that despite recent falls, gas prices remain three times higher than normal.
"The situation seems ridiculous. The Royal Botanical Gardens, as important as they are, qualify for the scheme. But the protected crop sector - those growing tomatoes, cucumbers, aubergines, and peppers to feed British families - don't," she told the NFU's annual conference.
The government began collecting production data on salad ingredients in 1985.