CGC Ebook 5.0

Hor ticulture

Sector Outlook The sector is wor th £5 billion and employs a range of people from scientists to entrepreneur s and florists . The UK productive horticulture industr y is responsible for the cultivati on of vegetable / salad crops (£1. 4 billion in sales) and fruit crops (£ 875 million in 201 9 ). The ornamental market of plants, bulbs and cut flowers was worth £1. 4 billion in the same yea.r Although we produce a wide selection of crops we are still dependent on imports from overseas to the tune of £6 billion with Spain(13 % veg) Netherlands and South Africa being the main suppliers. The industrycover s the strawberrie s we have whilst watching tennis, the landscape of our parks, g ardens and the preparatio n of our spor ts pitches. You could find yourself working in any of the UK’s 2 ,3 00 garden centre and nurseries , managing a city park, maintaining a country estate or landscaping around a new construction build. Hor ticulture is a very broad industry and estimates are that it contribute s around £9 billion to the UK economy. The industry provides regular employment for over 50,000 people. Approximately 85% of the sector is managed within small and medium sized enterprises, and business owners from all sectors of the industry have noted a substantial lack of young talent; with dire warnings of an impending skills gap as knowledgeable workers retire. This is backed up by a report from the RHS that showed 70% of hotirculture businesses can’t get the trained staff they need. This could beowed to the long hours, in all weathers and the physically demanding nature of the work. A recent survey in 2020 showed that Scotland (33%) and South East England (31%) had relevant shortfalls in recruiting staff for their harvest. The current interest in the hor ticultural sector could be owed to the rise of contemporary TV programmes and initiatives which make growing fruit & vegetables at home more accessible . RHS, The Institute of Hor ticulture, and the initiative “Grow” e ndeavour to inform peopl e about hor ticulture careers and the range of fantastic oppo r tunities to be had in the sector. Geography , Biology and Ar t can be useful subjects to study in school, or Biological Science s if you are considering working in the science of new plant technologies . Apprenticeship oppor tunities may exist if you want to work and train on the job or you could consider going on to do a degree. A variety of relevant degree courses are available such as Landscape Design , Spor ts Turf, Horticulture, Botany or other degrees may be relevant tpoarticular roles such as Ec ology, Biochemistry and Biology. There is a variet y of skills desired in the industr y, but above all, a passion and a desire to learn and work hard is most appreciated.