Plumpton College, in partnership with the Drinks Trust and Wines of Great Britain, is launching a free three-week course designed to equip eligible job seekers with the practical skills and knowledge required to find employment in the UK wine industry.

Wine producers and importers will be freed from unnecessary red tape thanks to proposed changes to retained EU laws on the production and marketing of wine, generating an estimated £180m boost to the UK wine industry, alongside opening the market to new products and growing the economy.

Fruit & Vine Magazine is proud to be the media partner for this year’s Viti-Culture Live show at Plumpton College, East Sussex, on 1st June.

Fruit & Vine spoke to irrigation specialist Plantex for answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about irrigation in vineyards.

The Antonio Carraro TN5800 supplied by Kirkland is the third in The Summer Berry Company’s modified tractor fleet, used to spray strawberries on its 400-acre fruit farm near Colworth in West Sussex.

UK biopesticides company Eden Research has received approval for its flagship biofungicide product to be used in New Zealand on wine and table grapes to tackle outbreaks of Botrytis cinerea, a major cause of crop loss and food waste in the country’s vineyards.

A new solution to deep level ground compaction in orchards and vineyards is available from a Suffolk-based machinery manufacturer. David Williams visited the team to find out more.

Fizz Fest is the flagship event for Vineyards of Hampshire and offers visitors the chance to try 25 different premium sparkling and still wines.

London’s Forty Hall Vineyard, which produces award-winning still and sparkling wines says it has suffered three poor harvests and is in need of vital funds for pest control and a reliable tractor.

With apple skin colour being a highly appealing quality to consumers, growers will generally seek to improve fruit colouration. Yara offers guidance on how crop nutrition can help to achieve the desired appearance.

Fox Robotics, the makers of Hugo RT, an autonomous robot that supports fruit pickers by transporting produce and empty trays on farms, are welcoming investments from visionary farmers and individual investors to help fund the rollout of their new technology within the next six months.

A new NFU survey suggests the horticulture sector has been hit particularly hard by falling farmer confidence levels – which are at their lowest level since the start of the pandemic.