Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to put measures in place to boost UK horticultural production.

The Government currently supports horticulture though the LEADER scheme within the Rural Development Programme for England. New funding worth £40 million for farmers and horticulturalists to invest in a range of innovative equipment to help improve their productivity as part of the Countryside Productivity Scheme was launched on 30^th October 2017. This funding could support production for both the domestic and export markets.

The Government recognises that, in order to stimulate innovative practices and increase productivity of horticultural businesses, a strong research base is needed. As part of the agri-tech strategy, £160 million has been committed to be co-invested with industry to address challenges in the agri-tech sector. Government funded research into a variety of areas, including weed and disease control, and post-growing areas such as packaging and increased post-harvest shelf life is ongoing. The benefits of this research will help improve the productivity of the horticultural sector.