Plans to boost home - arise fruit and vegetable output and force back the growth of high - tech gardening have been set out today by Environment Secretary Ranil Jayawardena as part of the HM Government ’s work to unleash the potential of British land .
Glasshouse grow , a form of Controlled Environment Horticulture , has multiple economic , intellectual nourishment security measure , and sustainability benefits , but the sector presently represents only 10 % of English horticultural business . It means the United Kingdom only grows 25 % of the cucumber and 17 % of the love apple supplied domestically . However , stage business operate with this modeling are already reaping benefits – from extended maturate seasons , efficient body of water employment , and higher yields per solid meter .
£ 12.5 million investmentTo kickstart efforts to grow the gardening sphere and boost domestic production , the Environment Secretary today committed a further £ 12.5 million investment funds in automation and robotics through the Farming Innovation Programme on top of more than £ 70 million spent so far on industry - led enquiry and development .
The fund open up in January with ‘ UK Research and Innovation ’ ( UKRI ) and will match - investment company projects that will drive economic growth , food security and birth on environmental committal . Previous funded projects have included yield - scouting robots , automated veggie harvester , and new types of fertilizer .
Environment Secretary Ranil Jayawardena said :
Visit to the NetherlandsLast week , the Environment Secretary visited the Netherlands to ascertain more about in high spirits - tech glasshouse and erect growing approaches , tour a robotics institute and a glasshouse business concern that habituate artificial intelligence agency , robotics , renewable vigor , and body of water - neutral systems to rise garden truck .
He also announced he will appoint an industriousness expert to work with him and colleagues across the edible and ornamental sectors to progress a clear exposure of the barriers and opportunities in Controlled Environment Horticulture . They will provide a set of recommendation and insurance policy intervention that the government can implement both straight off and longer term .
Furthermore , the Environment Secretary has publish to a identification number of major Controlled Environment Horticulture grower to seek the industry ’s views on how HM Government can best support its expansion and ensure government policies better shine industry needs .
To create a positive investment environment for the horticulture sphere , HM Government has already signaled its commitment to including industrial horticulture in decisiveness on industrial energy policy and reviewing the planning permit operation to support new maturation . design to incentivize the sphere to make use of surplus heat and CO2 from industrial processes and renewable informant of Department of Energy are also being consider .
As set out in the Growth Plan , HM government activity will be look at the frameworks for regulation , innovation , and investing that bear on granger and earth director to make certain that insurance policy are well lay to both boost solid food production and protect the surroundings . Later this year , the Environment Secretary will put forward details of plans on how we will increase nutrient certificate while strengthening the resilience and role of farmers as stewards of the British countryside .
For more selective information : Government of the UKwww.gov.uk
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