Energy costs: Can growers in UK's cucumber capital survive?

A grower successful the UK's cucumber superior has said helium is frightened helium could suffer his third-generation concern owed to precocious vigor costs.

More than 10% of growers successful the Lea Valley, known arsenic the UK's cucumber superior oregon 'London's Salad Bowl', closed this twelvemonth owed to challenges including precocious vigor costs, according to the Lea Valley Growers Association, based successful Hertfordshire.

Tony Montalbano, who grows cucumbers successful Roydon, Essex, said helium could not spend state to vigor his glasshouses and feared closure.

The authorities announced successful September that an Energy Bill Relief Scheme was being introduced which would spot wholesale vigor prices fixed for each organisations for six months from 1 October.

The authorities did not respond to the BBC's questioning astir other plans to enactment growers with vigor costs.

Produced by Abby Newbery

See much connected We Are England connected BBC One successful London, the South and South East of England connected Friday 21 October astatine 19:30 GMT and connected BBC iPlayer here.