No Extensions: Fruit and Vegetable Aid Scheme Will Close This Year, Says Defra

With no replacement programme in the pipeline, Defra Farming Minister Dame Angela Eagle has confirmed the legacy EU programme in England will cease at the end of this month after only reaching a “minority of growers”.

Despite some estimates reportedly suggesting that up to 50% of the UK’s fresh produce supply was produced under the support scheme, legislation passed in July 2023 permanently closes the so-called legacy EU programme on 31 December 2025.

Although still committed to the UK’s horticulture sector, the government position is that this particular scheme will not be carried forward or renewed, confirming what had previously been signalled to Producer Organisations (POs) earlier in the year. 

Minister Eagle confirmed the closure in a written response to a question about any plans to extend the scheme from Shadow Defra Minister Dame Harriett Baldwin, Conservative MP for West Worcestershire. 

“The [legacy] scheme was designed to help fresh fruit and vegetable growers increase their power in the supply chain, but it was only available to Producer Organisations, with around just over 20 per cent of the sector accessing it and the vast majority not benefitting,” responded Ms Eagle. 

A Lost Source of Investment Support

The closure of the Fruit and Vegetables Scheme removes a long‑standing source of investment support that many producer organisations have relied on for infrastructure, marketing, and collaboration. 

Industry bodies, including the NFU, have warned already that some POs may become unviable without replacement funding. 

Growers fear reduced bargaining power in the supply chain and fewer tools to manage risk and invest in productivity, at a time when margins are already tight.

Image: Dame Harriett Baldwin MP

Expressing sadness at the scheme’s demise, West Worcestershire MP Dame Baldwin (pictured above) has urged local people in her constituency to show their support for local food producers in the run up to Christmas by buying local fruit and veg from local farms shops.

“The direct impact of the closure of this scheme will mean less fruit grown in West Worcestershire and fewer jobs for people picking fruit,” she lamented. “The Government is continually chipping away at all the measures which help our local farmers and horticulturalists to produce goods in a reliable and profitable way.”

Defra Still Behind The Horticulture Sector

Despite the confirmation, Ms Eagle said the government remains committed to the “vital role” played by the UK’s “excellent horticulture sector” in national food security.

The minister’s line is that future support for the sector will be redesigned within the new domestic agricultural policy framework rather than continuing a limited, EU-derived mechanism. 

Ms Eagle said the objective would be to ensure grants deliver “the most benefit for food security and value for money for the taxpayer”.

To date, Ms Eagle pointed out that of at least £200 million allocated to The Farming Innovation Programme through to 2030, nearly £40 million—representing 26% of total awards—has been granted to research projects benefiting the horticulture sector offering targeted opportunities for fruit and vegetable businesses to become more profitable, resilient, and sustainable. 

“Wider Government support that we are providing for horticulture includes: our five-year extension to the Seasonal Worker visa route, providing much needed stability and certainty to businesses; as well as extending the easement on import checks on medium risk fruit and vegetables ahead of the new SPS agreement deal with the EU,” Ms Eagle explained. 

Already, Ms Eagle and Defra have been promoting a forthcoming Horticulture Growth Strategy as the new vehicle for supporting fruit and veg production, linking it to food security, health, and environmental goals. 

However, details and timings for any replacement or successor schemes remain unclear, meaning the sector currently faces a funding gap from January 2026 unless interim measures are announced.