Labour has slammed the Tory destruction of the rural economy in Nazeing and pledged to deliver a new deal for vegetable and fruit growers to boost Britain's food security. During a visit to supermarket salad producers in Nazeing this week, Labour's Shadow Environment Secretary, Steve Reed MP, and Labour's Parliamentary Candidate for the constituency of Harlow, Chris Vince, met with the owners of Valley Grown Nurseries on Tuesday (16 April).
During the visit, Steve Reed outlined Labour's plans to deliver a 'new deal for farmers' which will put money in the pockets of food producers in Harlow. This includes:
- Seek a veterinary agreement with the European Union: to cut red tape and costs at borders and get British food exports moving again.
- Ensure at least half of all food procured by hospitals, prisons and other public bodies is British: use the Government's own purchasing power to back British produce with local or sustainably produced food.
- Turn on GB Energy: a new publicly owned energy company that will harness clean, home-grown British power to deliver cheaper bills for farmers and rewire Britain, allowing farmers to rapidly plug their renewable energy into the grid.
- Flood Resilience Taskforce: reduce the flood risk of our farms through a Cobra-style taskforce for delivering drainage systems, flood defences and natural flood management schemes.
Nazeing, within Harlow Parliamentary Constituency, grows and supplies around 80 million cucumbers or 75% of the UK crop to supermarkets.
At Valley Grown Nurseries, discussions were held to listen to concerns over expensive energy costs and a lack of investment in the horticulture sector. They grow tomatoes, aubergines, and peppers for British supermarkets that have under 30 acres of glasshouse at their site in Nazeing.
Steve Reed OBE MP, Labour's Shadow Secretary for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, "The Conservatives have wrecked our rural economy in Nazeing. Red tape at the borders and eye watering energy bills have forced thousands of farmers out of business, losing thousands of agricultural jobs."
Labour's Parliamentary Candidate for Harlow, Chris Vince, "These nurseries in Nazeing are nationally important helping the UK to develop the security of our food supply chain. The growers in the Lea Valley area directly employ around 2,500 people and Labour is the party of businesses like these, helping them to invest and thrive in our town. As a vegetarian, I was pleased to eat one of the best tomatoes I've ever eaten!"
Jimmy Russo, Director of Valley Grown Nurseries and President of the Lea Valley Growers Association, "We need politicians to make sure there are sustainable business models for the horticulture industry so that we have secure food production supply chains. This will mean the UK is less reliant on imported fruit and vegetables and that British growers, like us, get the support and backing we need."
For more information:
Oliver Rogers
Labour East
Tel.: +44 075 265 11048
Email: oliver_rogers@labour.org.uk