International plant marketing set up to promote industry

The first plant featured in the pan-Europe marketing campaign will be the sunflower in 2015.

The campaign, which will include Germany, France, Holland, Italy, Poland and the UK, has been set up by seed producers to promote the industry.

Companies such as Kings Seeds, Suttons Seeds, Thompson & Morgan, Mr Fothergill's, Kieft Seeds, Takii Seed, Tozer Seeds and others were among international delegates at the launching of the scheme in Horsley, Surrey, last week.

Meanwhile, garden industry bodies led by the HTA are to launch an ongoing campaign to attract newcomers into gardening.

Former Suttons marketing head David Arnold is project managing the Garden Marketing Board scheme with 20 supporters, including industry bodies, retailers and suppliers. They met at Stewart Plastics in Banbury last week to work on plans.

The HTA has given seed money but the industry will need to put in cash to start the work. Arnold said the model for the scheme is the Meat Marketing Board.