British Tomato Growers' Association

Thank you so much for all your hard work on our 2024 British Tomato Fortnight campaign Jack & Grace | B Corp Certified. We also loved working with you and are excited for what's in store for our 2025 campaign. Note it in your diaries - 2nd-15th June 2025! With your support it will, no doubt, be our best yet 🍅 ❤️ 🍅 ❤️ 🍅 ! #britishtomatoes #buybritish Abigail Lawson

The BTGA team, alongside our grower members, Defra Plant Health, Fera Science Ltd., and ADAS, met with representatives from the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) this morning to discuss the impacts of the new Border Target Operating Model which was implemented earlier this year. Changes to testing and monitoring protocols at the border brought in following Brexit have been challenging for growers across the industry who are bringing seeds and young plants into the UK, causing delays to cropping timelines and increased risks to crop health. We had a positive, productive discussion with APHA, raising these key concerns, hearing how measures are being taken during checks at the border to reduce risk of damage and contamination, and clarifying aspects of the process. This meeting was held as part of our monthly ToBRFV Working Group, established in 2019, which monitors outbreaks, and shares information, research, and management of the disease. We’re moving to expand the remit of these regular meetings between ourselves, researchers and government to continue to establish a working relationship, and address broader concerns around imports, and pest and disease management for the protected edible sector. We’re looking forward to continuing to work closely with them to enable smooth entry of young plants into the country over the next few weeks and ensure next year’s crop is protected! Questions or comments on this subject? Contact: Nat.Key@BritishTomatoes.co.uk Simon Conway Philip Morley Robert James Adrian Fox #britishtomatoes #planthealth #BTOM #ToBRFV

As we know, conventional British Tomato season is just about over, so we recommend you head to the supermarket, stock up and try one of our tomato preservation recipes, so that you can continue to enjoy their exceptional flavour over the winter months: Roast British Tomato Sauce: https://lnkd.in/eEFzZsjR Pickled British Tomatoes: https://lnkd.in/eXxipvJb British Tomato Confit: https://lnkd.in/eHZJs93V British Tomato Chutney: https://lnkd.in/eQ3_x2TK Of course, enjoying them fresh is always our preference, and some of our talented grower members produce tomatoes all year round with the help of LED lighting, so still make sure you keep an eye out for their wonderful produce! Simon Conway Philip Morley #britishtomatoes #buybritish #recipes #preservation

Defra have released the industry response to their new proposed requirement on plants for planting. Their requirement states: "We proposed to introduce a requirement for all imports of plants for planting (excluding bulbs, corms, rhizomes, seeds, tubers, and plants in tissue culture) moving into Great Britain to have been grown on a registered nursery and have been inspected prior to export. This was to provide greater biosecurity assurances for these plants, that otherwise carried greater biosecurity risks as a result of being grown in the wild or not being inspected prior to export." Read the full proposal here: https://lnkd.in/eMW5FNys Find out how the industry have responded: https://lnkd.in/e_YNPKYJ

Great to see La Serra Ltd Nick Arnst

Has anyone heard of 'Dunkelflaute'? It is the nemesis of the UK's renewable energy strategy, basically no wind & no sun = very little generation. This is where the British glasshouse industry plays an important role with their extensive 'embedded' CHP systems, either exporting electricity to the grid in peak demand or consuming their own generated electricity and not taking off the grid. NESOS data says total embedded generation is 23% of the UK generation capacity. Clearly an important part of Uk energy generation. https://lnkd.in/eS6t53dd

We had some wonderful feedback from a happy customer who bought some tomatoes recently, produced by The Green House Growers Ely: "Help me to congratulate the producers of such wonderfully sweet tomatoes this late in the season. They are fantastic, so much so that I wish to make sure that they receive my congratulations in producing UK grown sweet and delicious tomatoes which are the best I have tasted from any Supermarket." Thank you so much, Gary! Always wonderful to received such excellent feedback and endorsement for high quality tomatoes produced by our hardworking #britishgrowers! Although we are coming to the end of the season for conventional cropping, make sure you still keep an eye out for #britishgrown tomatoes on supermarket shelves. Plus a few growers produce wonderful #britishtomatoes all year round with the help of LED lights! Simon Conway Philip Morley Jonathan Swain

Looking good team Suffolk Fresh Mark Pearson Rob Tooke Alex Pearson

We're delighted to have raised £265 at the dinner during our Annual British Tomato Conference last month, which we have now donated to to RABI to support the great work they do supporting people in the horticulture and agriculture industries who are in need. Thank you to those who donated! Simon Conway Philip Morley Paul Faulkner https://lnkd.in/eVZ8rxk3

British Tomato Growers' Association quoted in highlighting the cost/delays and bio-security risk in the GB Border Control Point system for bringing young plants into the UK. We have also highlighted the issues with seed imports and delays being seen by our members Robert JamesPhilip MorleyNathalie KeyMartin EmmettMatthew SimonNick ArnstMark PearsonAlex Durnford Kieran Durnford David Barker John Overvoorde Richard DiplockPaul FaulknerAndrew Bille https://lnkd.in/ehKCmXh6