Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to provide longer-term core funding to some research and development institutions for advances in edible and ornamental horticulture.

Farming and food production are at the heart of the Government’s agenda and an important part of our mission-driven government approach.

Building on our long-standing R&D investment in crop breeding, in July 2024, Defra awarded a further £15 million over the next five years to fund five crop Genetic Improvement Networks (GINs). This includes £9 million for horticulture (soft fruit; vegetables; and pulse crops).

The GINs will be delivered by consortia comprised of research institutes and universities; to deliver collaborative R&D to deliver breeding benefits for key UK crops.

For the first time, the GINs will incorporate research into underutilised and novel crops, helping to diversify the resources available to breeders and farmers. It will also harness the latest innovations in crop breeding, including the opportunities offered by the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act, to help farmers and breeders produce stronger, more sustainable and resilient crops for the future.