As Britain deals with a prolonged cold snap, some commentators are starting to suggest that basic foodstuffs may end up in short supply or prices may start to rise. Already in some hard-hit areas groceries such as milk and fresh seasonal vegetables are in short supply as farmers struggle to get their produce harvested and away from the farm. And shops are also becoming short of stock as consumers ‘panic buy’ in case the weather keeps them at home. Industry experts are attempting to reassure consumers that products will remain available to discourage panic buying and maintain supplies but have not ruled out price rises if the weather continues…

The government has launched its first major food policy document in more than fifty years in which it sets out its vision for the UK food system in 2030.

The report, entitled ‘Food 2030’ was launched by Defra Secretary, Hilary Benn MP, at the Oxford Farming Conference on January 5, and has been widely welcomed by the farming industry. It focuses on securing food supplies to meet growing demand whilst protecting and enhancing the environment.

The document paints a picture of an industry where consumers have a choice of healthy sustainable UK-produced food and where UK farmers are profitable, competitive and resilient. The report also envisages an agricultural industry that makes a significant contribution to rural communities whilst being a global leader in food sustainability.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Food 2030 also focuses on carbon, aiming for the UK to have a low carbon food system with waste being reused, recycled or used for energy generation.

Undoubtedly this document paints a positive picture for the food industry moving forward. But, as always, the devil is in the detail – it will be interesting to see how this new vision translates into policy in the coming years.

A recent report by the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) looked in detail at internet use amongst gardeners. The report shows that the growth in use of the internet by very keen gardeners now stands at 74 per cent which almost matches the national average of 76 per cent.
Around seven out of ten use the web to get information about products and services. And, over the last three years, there has been a substantial increase in the role of the internet as a source of inspiration for the garden, with 27 per cent indicating that they now use the web for this purpose.
The report highlights the blurring of channel definitions in retailing and describes how online and mail order shopping are merging into one. It also questions whether the worth of online sales should be the only measure of the value of retailers having a web presence and explores the internet’s role as a means of driving footfall.

Following weeks of protests by dairy farmers across Europe the EU has announced a €280 million package to boost the dairy sector. Yet as soon as the package of support was announced, the UK government criticised the move, suggesting that it was going to slow down the necessary process of CAP reform and claiming it would support inefficient milk production.

Figures released by DEFRA show that average farm business income for all farm types was slightly higher in 2008/09 at £50,900 compared to £48,200 in 2007/08. This reflects firmer prices during the year for a range of commodities, particularly pigmeat, lamb and beef and to a lesser extent milk. Farmers also saw an increase in the value of their single farm payment due to a more favourable exchange rate compared to the previous year.

Of the individual farm types, specialist pig farms, grazing livestock farms and dairy farms all saw modest increases in income, whilst cereal farms, poultry farms and horticultural units saw a small decline in income.

Every year around 250,000 people are motivated to plant more than a million trees through a series of events organised up and down the country to celebrate National Tree Week. Officially starting the winter tree-planting season, this programme has been taking place since 1975 and offers communities the opportunity to get involved with their local environment. Events are organised by Tree Council members, schools, community groups, tree wardens and many others and are guaranteed to be fun, inspiring …and a little bit dirty! You can organise your own event – find out more at  www.treecouncil.org.uk

Environment Secretary Hilary Benn has announced a review of England’s wildlife and ecological network to see if it is capable of responding to the challenges of climate change and other pressures.

The review will look to see what benefits could be gained by connecting sites within designated areas and outside them through re-wilding initiatives – allowing farmland to return to its wild state which could include reintroductions of species such as lynx and elk.

But the proposal looks certain to be controversial. The Country Land and Business Association has already branded the proposals ‘misconceived and ill thought out’ and it will be interesting to see how Defra balances its food security agenda with its wildlife and countryside plans…

Two recent funding awards have given a boost to the promotion of British food products.

A three-year generic milk promotion initiative worth £7.5m has been launched by the Milk Marketing Forum to promote the benefits of milk consumption. The forum, a consortium of leading dairy companies, has secured almost £2.5m of their funds from the EU with the rest coming from forum members.

In what will be the biggest generic milk promotion for years the “Make Mine Milk” campaign will use posters, press, online media and PR to promote liquid milk, aimed at families with a focus on young people aged 15 to 24-years old.

In addition, the Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board (AHDB) has secured permission from the EU to use around £500,000 of levy payments to raise awareness of the Red Tractor Logo on British foods.  The mark, which appears on more than £8bn worth of food products, will be promoted to consumers by delivering a message about the quality and high production standards associated with its use.

Recent figures released from TNS show that apple sales are falling due to increased competition from other fruits. In the year to May sales fell 3.2% whilst sales of peaches, apricots and cherries all increased.

Latest figures from the Horticultural Trades Association suggest that there are signs of recovery in the UK garden market, with garden centres leading the way. Whilst the association’s Garden Industry Monitor (GIM)  showed total sales of garden products down by around 10% in 2008, the first half of 2009 seems to have recovered the position held a year earlier.

Citing significant interest in ‘Grow Your Own’ (GYO) and better weather as the reasons for the change, the HTA is “cautiously optimistic” that the garden industry is well-placed as the UK economy turns towards recovery.