The UK Government has confirmed that the Fruit and Vegetable Growers Scheme will not be extended beyond 31 December 2025, following a question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
In a written response on 10 December 2025, Defra Minister Angela Eagle explained that legislation introduced in July 2023 permanently closes the legacy EU Fruit and Vegetable Aid Scheme in England at the end of 2025. The scheme was originally designed to strengthen growers' position in the supply chain, but access was limited to Producer Organisations. As a result, only just over 20 percent of the sector benefited, leaving the majority of fruit and vegetable growers outside the scheme.
Defra said future support for the sector is being considered as part of wider work to simplify and rationalise agricultural grant funding. The aim, the department said, is to ensure grants offer good value for money for taxpayers while supporting food security.
The Government reiterated its commitment to the horticulture sector and highlighted alternative forms of support already in place. Of the £200 million allocated to the Farming Innovation Programme through to 2030, nearly £40 million has already been awarded to research projects that benefit horticulture. These projects are intended to help fruit and vegetable businesses become more profitable, resilient, and sustainable.
Additional measures include a five-year extension to the Seasonal Worker visa route, which Defra says provides greater stability for businesses, and continued easements on import checks for medium-risk fruit and vegetables ahead of a new sanitary and phytosanitary agreement with the EU.
Source: Parallel Parliament
