THE NORFOLK AND SUFFOLK AGRI-FOOD INDUSTRY COUNCIL

Tuesday 22 June 2021 1400 - 1600

Via Teams

Minutes

Welcome from the Chair; apologies; introductions to, and from, new members, minutes of the last

meeting; approval and matters arising

Corrienne Peasgood, the Chair, welcomed members and introduced the meeting. She explained that

NALEP is working on a Norfolk and Suffolk renewal plan to replace the economic strategy, local industrial

strategy and the restart plans. With agri-food one of the three key sectors highlighted in the local industrial

strategy (alongside clean energy and digital), our sector will be fully represented.

Rosie Begg, Tim Place, Emily Norton, Peter Mason and Matt Jones were invited to introduce themselves

as new members of the Council, and to give a little bit of background on themselves and their businesses.

State of the nation: Norfolk & Suffolk farming & food update.

• Greg Smith - Skills

• Gary Ford - NFU & farming issues

• Nick Sandford - CLA & rural business matters

• Nigel Davies - commodity processing and markets

• Ben Turner - machinery & other inputs

Crop production & land management - Andrew Francis

Three principal challenges - labour, costs and the marketplace - were described as presenting

difficulties. Labour shortages are particularly marked, and unusually so, so close to harvest. Growers

operating potato graders are finding it very difficult to source labour for the potato harvest, meaning

that customers may have no choice but to accept poorly-graded potatoes. Attempts are being made to

attract local labour, including by increasing wages, but confidence is low. Packhouses are also

running short on labour, and much of what they do have is poorly skilled. There is also a severe

shortage of hauliers meaning that produce is rotting as it can’t be moved. Costs have increased

considerably; transport costs are 10% for the coming harvest; packing cardboard is 25% up on last

year and wood has seen a 45% price increase. The marketplace is a little more positive, with

wholesalers supplying foodservice now active and buying again. Other challenges exist around the

transition to regenerative agriculture and net zero. The industry wants to make these changes, but

where processors and retailers make grand commitments to enact these changes by 2030, it doesn’t

leave farm businesses much time to adjust.

It was noted that Professor Simon Pearson from the University of Lincoln is co-chairing with Defra a

review in labour supply to the horticulture sector. Martin Collison would be pleased to put any Council

members in contact with Prof Pearson. It was further noted that data collected by Job Centre Plus

contributes to national data collection on labour and recruitment. So even where there is low

confidence in Job Centre Plus filling a vacancy, recruiting through them gives businesses the

opportunity to continually feed into government data collection and helps to highlight where gaps lie.

NFU & farming issues - Gary Ford

Supply of and access to labour continues to be a problem throughout the sector; 24% of the national

daffodil crop was left unharvested this spring purely due to a shortage of workers. Regarding the

Australia trade deal, there is no opposition to free trade, but trade must be fair. Concerns exist around

the impact that Australian beef, sheepmeat and sugar imports will have on domestic production, as

well as on the precedent that this deal will set for future trade deals including with New Zealand,

Canada and the USA. Politically, there's plenty going on with the Environment Bill coming back to

Parliament and the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill. Finally it has been a very late start to

the cropping season, but crops look well and some are predicting a record year.

Machinery and other inputs - Ben Turner

A key concern is lack of availability of vehicles, machinery and parts due to factory shutdowns across

Europe. This is also causing delivery delays for items which have already been ordered. In addition,

prices are increasing substantially due to the price of steel having tripled. All of this creates significant

uncertainty and makes planning very difficult. Additional impacts on our customers include the

agricultural challenges and changes described already. Sales of stock machinery remain strong.

Skills - Greg Smith

The chair of the Agri-Food Sector Skills Group explained how the group feeds in both to this Council,

and the LEP’s Skills Advisory Panel. The group’s three key measurables are covered in the Delivery

Plan update which was previously circulated. The group is in the process of refining and reviewing

strategic objectives, and is seeing many changes around workforce supply, access to labour, and the

impact of Brexit on the one hand, and the challenges facing young people (including those who

haven't sat formal exams) moving into higher and further education on the other. The group is trying

to navigate its way through view through this through communication, discussion, and support and

encouragement of initiatives at a regional and national level. Nationally it keeps a close eye on policy

developments including the Institute for Agriculture and Horticulture, and apprenticeships. The group

is keen to hear from individuals wishing to become involved in the sector skills group.

CLA and rural business matters - Nick Sandford

A written report was provided as follows:

• Effect of Trade deals on ability to produce quality food at a sensible price.

• Developing but chaotic and unregulated carbon market.

• Pressing for more information on ELM and SIF.

• Up-coming Environment Bill.

• Unrealistic and detrimental MEES proposals for rural housing and now non-residential buildings.

• Uncertainty in wedding and hospitality sector.

• Increased tourism.

• Water management flooding and lack of maintenance of main rivers /need for summer storage

new approach with environmental benefits linked to ELM?

• Proposals for more landscape designations.

Food Innovation Centre: Capital proposals, business support and cluster development

To update Council on the development of the project

Nina Cunningham, Senior Economic Development Officer at South Norfolk District Council gave a

presentation of the attached slides. She explained that Food Enterprise Zone status was granted in

2015 to an area within greater Norwich after local environmental health teams had indicated that more

food-grade premises were needed. The planning and project development for what has since become

known as the Food Innovation Centre (FIC) has continued as shown in the slides, with the

construction expected to be completed in summer 2022.

The FIC, which will serve as a physical focal point for food and drink producers, will provide units for

rent to growing businesses, but not necessarily start-ups. The 38,000 square foot building has been

designed to comply with British Retail Consortium standards so will be ready for businesses which

supply supermarkets to move straight in without additional changes.

The FIC's innovation hub will be open to the public and will provide meeting spaces, test kitchens and

a sensory tasting facility, for tenants to use in product development and testing. The FIC has been

categorised as 'BREEAM Excellent' and will be constructed from sustainable materials, all sourced

from within a 40-mile radius, and will be fitted with solar PV panels on the roof, in addition to a range

of other sustainability and food hygiene elements.

There followed a presentation from Colette Matthewman, relationship manager at UEA, using slides

which are also attached. She described the business support and cluster elements of the FIC.

The business support element is led by Hethel Innovation and will support SME tenants in the FIC as

well as other relevant businesses in line with ERDF requirements, and is described inn the slides.

Food advisors will be involved in the and other advisers will support the cluster. There's also a budget

for buying-in expertise for specific challenges.

As per the slides, please will Council give consideration to the following questions in respect

of the business support element of the FIC project:

1. What have we missed?

2. What specific support do local food & drink businesses require?

The cluster element is aimed at building and energising the sector and generating maximum benefit

for all businesses in the region. The slides highlight the advantages for businesses of being involved

in a cluster which include knowledge exchange created through access to information, proximity to

competitors and collaborators, and proximity to others in the supply chain. Financial benefits include

the fact that strong clusters can help attract foreign investment, and may generate economies of

scale, for example through group purchasing.

Cluster activities will include seminars and conferences, collaborative projects, roundtables and

special interest groups. Matchmaking and speed-dating events will create business to business

interactions and business to researcher connections.

As per the slides, please will Council give consideration to the following questions in respect

of the cluster element of the FIC project:

1. Do you know of specific role models for inspiration and thought leadership? For

example, other clusters, or particular high-growth, high-innovation businesses, and

how they operate?

2. Who should be involved? Are there individuals who we may not be aware of that really

need to be involved in the cluster?

Food Enterprise Zones in Suffolk

Discussion on how Council can support Suffolk’s aspirations

Emma Taylor from New Anglia explained that there were two Food Enterprise Zones in Suffolk, one at

the Gateway 14 site in Stowmarket and linked to Freeport East, and a multi-site FEZ around

Wherstead, close to Jimmy's Farm and the Co-op headquarters. Council was asked for thoughts or

comment on how we can support or galvanise the potential for food-based projects on these sites,

how can we make sure that Suffolk businesses are looped into the regional Food Innovation Hub

scheme, and whether there is anyone on Council who might want to get involved in a working group

or who could suggest individuals, particularly within the private sector, with whom we should be

working on Suffolk FEZ projects.

Please let Emma Taylor know if you wish to be involved in Suffolk FEZ projects.

Agri-Food recovery: Draft proposals

Discussion on future business support project ideas for the food and farming sector

Emma Taylor gave a presentation of the attached slides which describe recent schemes and future

opportunities for the agriculture and food sectors. She explained that in respect of many of the historic

and current grant and support scheme available, due to the siloed separation of agriculture and food

businesses, funding directed at food businesses usually is not able to support direct primary

production (farming) businesses. For instance, the New Anglia Growth Hub has supported many food

businesses (grants and advice) over recent years but has been unable to support farming businesses

directly. Now that we are outside of the CAP, such a siloed approach should no longer apply. It’s

recognised that the private sector also provides a advice and support to food and farming businesses

which will continue to be important as farming changes over the coming years.

Emma proposed redirecting the current deep expertise in the delivery of advice and rural programmes

and agri-tech support, towards the new opportunities and challenges facing the farming and food

sector. The proposal was made for a 'farm to fork' business support scheme extending the whole

depth of the food chain. This could build on the food innovation hub to offer advice and support much

more widely, and potentially incorporating natural capital and environmental advice.

As per the slides, please will Council give consideration to the following questions in respect

of proposals for business support for the food and drink sector:

1. What size / type of grants are food businesses especially looking for? What to do?

2. What specialisms of expert advice are most in demand: environmental land

management? Mechanisation / robotics? Business planning and diversification? Is

there a need for funded advice?

3. Is there a need for funded training / skills development?

Update on regional LEP collaboration

For Council’s information

Council was updated on the discussions held at the previous meeting regarding collaboration between

New Anglia and neighbouring LEPs. Since March, New Anglia has held positive meetings with both

Greater Lincolnshire LEP and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority to help drive

the regional narrative forward.

Currently activity is focussed on putting together the regional narrative document demonstrating a

single regional voice and highlighting our collective strengths across the value chain. The audience for

this document will include government and investors together with potential overseas partners. The

aim is to promote the strengths of the businesses, the research institutions, and the current and future

opportunities available across the whole sector. The document will have a key focus on automation

and digital, supporting the transition to net zero, and diet and health. The document is currently being

drafted with the intention of it being finalised during July.

Any Other Business

The chair updated Council on a point made at its previous meeting about the importance of improved

dialogue between the various boards and industry councils of New Anglia LEP. She explained that

she had attended the first meeting of the chairs of all the different boards was held last week, and

attending were the chairs of the Innovation Board, the Skills Advisory Panel, the Transport Board, the

Clean Growth Taskforce and the other two Industry Councils (Digital Tech and All Energy). The

purpose of the initial meeting was to establish how these groups could successfully work together and

drive things forward. One initiative proposed was to strengthen links between the Innovation Board

and other groups via innovation working groups. It was also suggested that there should be closer

liaison between the Agri-Food and Digital Tech Industry Councils.

Matt Jones (Suffolk County Council) informed Council that he sits on the REEF (Renaissance of East

Anglian Fisheries) Group and will be happy to act as interface between this Council and the fisheries

sector, and will also help to identify a suitable individual who might be prepared to represent fisheries

on the Council. The chair thanked him for this contribution.

In Attendance

Martin Collison, Collison and Associates; Ben Turner, Ben Burgess and Co Ltd; Jonathan Clarke, JIC;

Jo Middleton, Norfolk County Council; Sam Fairs, Hillfairs Farming Ltd; Gary Ford, NFU; Viv Gillespie,

Suffolk New College; Tim Place, Place UK; Emily Norton, Savills; Rosie Begg, Gorgate Ltd; Peter

Mason, Uphouse Farm Ltd; Matt Jones, Suffolk County Council; Corrienne Peasgood, (Chair) City

College Norwich; Greg Smith; Emma Taylor, New Anglia LEP; Clarke Willis, Food Enterprise Park,

Belinda Clarke, Agri-TechE; Andrew Francis, Elveden Estate; Robert Gooch, The Wild Meat Co;

James Allen, New Anglia LEP; Alex Dinsdale, Agri-TechE

By invitation

Colette Matthewman, UEA; Nina Cunningham, South Norfolk District Council; Mark Hammond, PBD

Biotech; Imogen Shipperlee, Hethel Innovation

Apologies for absence

Philip Ainsworth, Suffolk Ag Association; Briony Tuthill, Anglian Water; Nigel Davies, Muntons;

Andrew Fearne, UEA; Mark Nicholas, Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association; Nick Sandford, CLA; Mike

Edwards; Albanwise