Jayawardena commits £12.5m to high-tech horticulture

Atmosphere Secretary Ranil Jayawardena has at present (Tuesday, October 11) introduced £12.5 million in funding for automation and robotics by way of the Farming Innovation Programme.

This funding will likely be used to kickstart efforts to develop the horticulture sector and increase home manufacturing of fruit and veggies.

It provides to the £70 million spent already on industry-led analysis and improvement.

The fund opens in January with UK Analysis and Innovation (UKRI) and can match-fund tasks that may drive financial development, meals safety and ship on environmental commitments, in line with the Division for Atmosphere, Meals and Rural Affairs (Defra).

Beforehand funded tasks have included fruit-scouting robots, automated vegetable harvesters and new sorts of fertilisers.

Excessive-tech horticulture

Glasshouse rising, a shaped of managed surroundings horticulture, has financial, meals safety and sustainability advantages, however the sector at present represents solely 10% of English horticultural companies, in line with Defra.

Which means the UK solely grows 25% of the cucumbers and 17% of the tomatoes equipped domestically. Nevertheless, companies working this mannequin are reaping rewards – from prolonged rising seasons, environment friendly water utilization and better yields/m².

“All of us depend on farmers and growers daily to provide high-quality meals, and to take care of our surroundings,” Jayawardena stated.

“While we have now a excessive diploma of meals safety, we will increase it additional.

“We are able to enhance home-grown fruit and vegetable manufacturing, which is why I’m bringing in skilled recommendation and match-funding robotics and automaton tasks.”

Jayawardena stated that expertise provides alternatives for making farming “greener” and extra productive.

The Netherlands

Jayawardena visited the Netherlands final week to be taught extra about high-tech greenhouse and vertical rising approaches.

He toured a robotics institute and a glasshouse enterprise which makes use of synthetic intelligence, robotics, renewable vitality and water impartial methods to develop produce.

Talking about his go to on Twitter, Jayawardena stated: “I’ve been to the Netherlands to see their spectacular glasshouses and vertical farms in motion.

“This expertise can unleash the potential of British farming and growers, which is why I’m placing an additional £12.5 million behind it at present.”

Jayawardena additionally introduced that he plans to nominate an {industry} skilled to work with him and colleagues throughout the edible and decorative sectors to construct a clearer image of the boundaries and alternatives in Managed Atmosphere Horticulture.

They’ll present Jayawardena with a set of suggestions and coverage interventions that the federal government can implement each instantly and long term.

Defra will announce the person appointed later this yr.

Later this yr, the Atmosphere secretary will put ahead particulars of plans on how the UK will enhance meals safety while strengthening the resilience and position of farmers as stewards of the British countryside.