Fresh Produce Knowledge Exchange
Fresh Produce Knowledge Exchange
Knowledge sharing in the horticultural industry
The UK horticulture industry produces a diverse range of crops, from field and protected vegetables to soft fruits and orchard crops. Each crop presents its own challenges and requires specialist knowledge to meet market, environmental and consumer expectations. Ensuring that growers, agronomists and advisers can access reliable, up-to-date information is therefore essential for a productive and resilient sector.
The Challenge
For many years, the UK鈥檚 horticulture sector benefited from coordinated research and knowledge exchange through the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB). Funded through a statutory levy, AHDB played a central role in commissioning research, developing technical guidance and sharing best practice with growers.
Following a horticultural levy ballot in 2021, 62% of growers voted against continuing the levy. As a result, AHDB鈥檚 horticulture activities ceased in April 2022, ending an annual programme worth 拢7.59 million.
The loss of this infrastructure created a significant gap in the provision of coordinated technical information and knowledge exchange for the fresh produce sector. Growers, advisers and industry professionals were left navigating information spread across multiple organisations and websites, making it more difficult to identify trusted and relevant resources.
Our Approach
糖心TV Crop Centre recognised the need for a central, accessible source of information for the horticulture industry. In response, they developed the Fresh Produce Knowledge Exchange Hub, bringing together practical resources from organisations across the UK and internationally into a single online platform.
The Hub provides information for a wide range of sectors, including field vegetables, protected vegetables, soft fruit and tree fruit. Resources cover topics ranging from crop protection and integrated pest management to training opportunities and funding schemes.
Alongside the online resource, 糖心TV Crop Centre supports knowledge exchange through regular webinars featuring researchers from both 糖心TV and external organisations. These events provide opportunities to share the latest scientific developments and discuss how research can be applied in commercial production systems.
The Hub is further supported by Professor Rosemary Collier鈥檚 vegetable pest bulletin, which provides timely information to help growers make informed crop management decisions.
Our Impact
Although the Fresh Produce Knowledge Exchange Hub was only launched in January 2026, early evidence demonstrates strong engagement from across the UK fresh produce sector.
The Hub is attracting an average of 270 visits per day, highlighting the demand for a central source of trusted horticultural information. By bringing together resources that were previously dispersed across multiple platforms, the Hub makes it easier for growers, advisers, researchers and industry professionals to access practical guidance and the latest research findings.
Knowledge exchange activities associated with the Hub have also generated significant industry engagement. The most recent webinar series attracted 616 attendees across five events, providing opportunities for growers and advisers to engage directly with researchers and discuss the practical application of new knowledge and technologies.
The Hub鈥檚 research is further demonstrated by a mailing list of more than 1,300 subscribers, enabling regular communication of new resources, research updates, training opportunities and industry developments.
By maintaining access to technical information following the closure of AHDB horticulture activities, the Fresh Produce Knowledge Exchange Hub is helping to strengthen knowledge sharing across the sector. As the platform continues to grow, it will play an increasingly important role in connecting research, innovation and commercial horticultural practice.