How Coronavirus is impacting West Sussex’s horticultural industry

But the sector is currently facing ‘extreme challenges’ due to the coronavirus pandemic. John Hall, of the West Sussex Growers Association, said the ornamental side of the sector – which concerns all non-edible produce such as flowers and bedding plants – was experiencing ‘great difficulty’. The local area has some of the biggest nurseries in the country which supply supermarket and garden centres across the whole of the UK. But Mr Hall said: “Sales have come to a complete standstill. All the garden centres are closed, most of the supermarkets are not taking plants at the moment.” Nurseries are currently being run by a skeleton staff to look after the plants, but he said: “With everyday that goes by, more and more plants are heading to the skip or to the compost. “These plants are so seasonable, there’s only one opportunity to sell these and it’s now.” He added: “Obviously they are trying to sell plants locally and online, but it’s a drop in the ocean compared to where these plants should be going.” When it comes to the food business side – the local production of tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, herbs and berries – Mr Hall said the biggest problem was getting enough workers now and in the summer months. “Traditionally, we’ve been reliant over the last 20 years on lots of Eastern Europeans coming to do a lot of this work and of course, a lot of those have not been able to get here this year,” he said. However appeals calling for workers had generated ‘quite a lot of responses’, he said, adding: “We are getting quite a lot of responses from students who are back from university.” He said the association was also hoping it may become permitted for workers placed on furlough by their employers to work in the industry, which he said would be ‘helpful’. Anyone looking for paid work harvesting the crops should contact the {https://wsga.co.uk/|the West Sussex Growers Association on its website here). The call for workers has been backed by the Coastal West Sussex Partnership. Director Caroline Wood said the horticultural industry was ‘a vital part of the coastal economy’ which was currently facing ‘extreme challenges’. “We would urge people who are facing time away from their regular work to look for opportunities with our local producers,” she said. “If you’re looking for new opportunities and want to help Pick for Britain then take a look at Concordia and British Summer Fruits for opportunities to get involved.” A message from the Editor, Gary Shipton: Thank you for reading this story on our website. But I also have an urgent plea to make of you. In order for us to continue to provide high quality local news on this free-to-read site and in print, please purchase a copy of our newspaper as well. With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on our town centres and many of our valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you buying a copy. Our journalists are highly trained by the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards anywhere in the world. Our content is universally trusted - as all independent research proves. As Baroness Barran said in a House of Lords debate this week on the importance of journalists: “Not only are they a trusted source of facts, but they will have a role to play in rallying communities and getting the message across about how we can keep ourselves and our families safe, and protect our NHS. Undoubtedly, they have a critical role.” But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis. In return we will continue to forensically cover the local news - not only the impact of the virus but all the positive and uplifting news happening in these dark days. In addition, please write to your MP urging the Government to provide some additional financial support for local newspapers and their websites like this one and ensuring that supermarkets continue to stock them. I cannot stress enough how important such an intervention would be. We thank all our readers and advertisers for their understanding and support - and we wish YOU all the best in the coming weeks. Keep safe, and follow the Government advice. Thank you.