Following the formal lifting of compulsory levies on the potato and horticulture sectors, the AHDB Petitioners (Simon Redden, John Bratley, and Peter Thorold) have welcomed the emergence of a new self-regulating R&D environment.

“Over the last six months, since Defra confirmed the scrapping of the horticulture and potato levies and a zero-rated levy for 2022, as predicted we have seen the industry begin to take ownership for its own research and development activity, setting its priorities and ensuring that those who want the research can benefit from it,” Lincolnshire vegetable grower Peter Thorold recently declared.

Several crop associations in the horticultural sector have announced plans to either establish their crop-specific research levies or collaborate in areas of mutual interest. Growers in the potato industry have banded together to form new grower-led organizations for the ware and seed sectors, and these initiatives are eligible for tax breaks where applicable.

The industry has also remained eligible for targeted R&D funding, such as Defra’s Farming Innovation Programme, which has funded projects in fruit production and vegetable harvesting, among other things. In the private sector, organizations such as Fera Science and NIAB have begun to manage collaborative projects on critical issues, bringing stakeholders from various backgrounds together to work toward a common goal.

“We are pleased to see the crop associations taking the initiative with their members to get targeted R&D done without the monolithic approach that was the AHDB. Now, with the extra pressure from increasing input costs that growers face, it is more important than ever that the statutory levies have been removed and growers can now decide what areas of focus are best for their businesses,” Lincolnshire potato and vegetable grower John Bratley mentioned.

Simon Redden, John Bratley, and Peter Thorold have become known as the AHDB Petitioners. They are all based in South Lincolnshire and collectively grow potatoes, vegetables, and flowers across 2,025 ha of land, and 5.6 ha of glasshouses. Together they employ 250 personnel and have a combined turnover of GBP20m.