Horticultural services

Tender description

The overriding aim of this contract is to enable the authority to estimate the value and volume of production of horticulture in England and Wales (unless otherwise specified). This specification relates to the collection, evaluation and dissemination of data for fruit, vegetables and ornamentals (grown in the open and under protection) in England and Wales, as well as monthly marketing tonnage for the key fruit and vegetable crops. The data under this contract shall be provided by the successful contractor in a format that will be set by the authority. The format is likely to be based on standardised excel spreadsheets (refer to Annex A). The successful contractor shall provide annual data on key fruit crops. The type of data and what fruit to report on has been outlined in Annex B paragraphs 1.1 to 1.2. The key fruit crops reported on shall cover those grown in England and Wales. The successful Contractor shall provide annual data on the minor fruit crops. The type of data and what fruit to report on has been outlined in Annex B paragraphs 2.1 to 2.2. The minor fruit crops reported on shall cover those grown in England and Wales The successful contractor shall provide annual data on key vegetable crops. The type of data and what vegetables to report on have been outlined in Annex C paragraphs 1.1 to 1.2. The key vegetable crops reported on shall cover those grown in England and Wales. The successful contractor shall provide annual data on minor vegetable crops. The type of data and what vegetables to report on have been outlined in Annex C paragraphs 2.1 to 2.2. The minor vegetable crops reported on shall cover those grown in England and Wales. The successful contractor shall provide data on Glasshouse fruit (strawberries, raspberries and other fruit) outlined in Annex E. The successful contractor shall provide calendar year data on area and value per hectare. Data is required for England and Wales. The successful contractor shall provide annual data for GB marketable mushroom (agaricus bisporus) production (tonnage), the price per tonne and total value estimates (based on farmgate price) outlined in Annex E. The successful contractor shall provide annual data for the calendar year on ornamentals for England and Wales. The type of data and what ornamentals to report on has been outlined in Annex D. The successful contractor shall provide a methodology report detailing the approaches, sources of information and methods of collecting and reporting on data for fruit (including glasshouse), vegetables, ornamentals and mushrooms annually in March each calendar year. Quality assurance information relating to the data supplied with the last submission of the year’s data (these would usually be in March each calendar year). The successful contractor shall provide narrative annually in March that covers vegetables, fruit (including glasshouse) ornamentals and mushrooms grown, harvested and marketed in the previous calendar year. The narrative should cover all field and protected crops reported on. It will provide a separate narrative for each of fruit, vegetables, ornamentals and mushrooms, and will include information on any developments, agronomy, disease and/or pest or disease pressure, planting/growing/harvesting conditions or the market situation and prices for the current year to assist in providing context and explanation for the data provided. The narrative shall also include comparisons with Defra’s Census and Survey data on area and/or production where available, particularly if there are any trend differences or other discrepancies in the data. The successful contractor will be expected to explain or provide justification for any discrepancies in their data when comparisons are made against Defra’s Census and Survey data and for any amendments made by the successful contractor to their data retrospectively. The successful contractor shall not provide any commercial information concerning the running of any business/grower concern or trade data. The crops and items to be reported on shall be annually reviewed and agreed via on-going discussions between the authority and the successful contractor to reflect possible small changes due to any changes in horticultural practice or revisions to European Union legislative requirements.