The government has announced horticulture businesses will have access to the Industrial Energy Transformation (IETF) Fund to help cut their energy bills.
Defra’s announcement follows continued NFU lobbying. However, poultry production, another energy intensive sector, has disappointingly not been included.
NFU President Minette Batters said: “One of the key outcomes from the Farm to Fork Summit at Downing Street was the need for greater energy security, so we are very pleased that government has responded to our calls to recognise energy intensive horticultural production within future energy price support measures.
“The NFU remains extremely disappointed over the lack of support for poultry production – another sector that is energy intensive where ongoing, soaring production costs are putting producers under immense pressure. We call on government to do everything it can so that the poultry sector is able to continue producing quality, affordable eggs and poultry meat which we know is valued hugely by the public.”