Domestic seed production boosted with new funding award

22 May 2023 02:27 PM

Grant will boost England’s tree seed production.

Domestic tree seed production is to be ramped up and biosecurity enhanced with new Government funding and measures announced today (Monday 22 May).

The next round of the Domestic Seed Sourcing Grant is set to be allocated, with £747,000 awarded to boost domestic tree seed production, create green jobs, help meet the increased demand for trees and achieve our ambitious net zero targets.

The grant is designed to enhance the quantity, quality and diversity of tree seed sources in England. Most tree seed planted in the UK is of British origin, but evidence suggests that British seed sources may struggle to meet future demand across all species and there are known to be global shortages of tree seed. The grant will boost domestic tree seed production and support green jobs, helping meet the increased demand for trees.

Alongside, in line with the GB Plant Biosecurity Strategy, the Biosecure Procurement Requirement Pilot has been extended to further Government tree-planting funds to address risks to our biosecurity. Applicants to these funds, such as local authorities, must commit to sourcing their trees from suppliers who are either accredited under the Plant Healthy Certification Scheme or who have passed a Ready to Plant assessment, as provided by Fera Science Ltd for their order, to ensure they are disease and pest free to minimise future threats of invasive species and tree loss.

Trudy Harrison, Forestry Minister, said:

This funding will improve the diversity of England’s seed supply, increasing the range of species. This will be crucial for creating diverse and resilient woodlands, which are better able to adapt to future climate conditions as well as emerging pests and diseases.

Increasing seed supply will also be essential to meeting our target to treble tree planting rates by the end of this Parliament.

Richard Stanford, Forestry Commission Chief Executive, said:

We need to have healthy and thriving trees to help tackle some of society’s biggest challenges of climate change and nature decline.  Protecting our treescape from biosecurity risks is vital to ensuring resilient trees and woodlands.

Increasing funding for seed sourcing will help manage the risk of pests and diseases, minimising net loss to the existing treescape and protecting our investment in diversifying and expanding tree cover in England.

Nicola Spence, Chief Plant Health Officer, said:

A healthy, high quality, and diverse treescape is integral to meet our target of achieving net zero emissions by 2050.

This vital funding will  diversify our domestic seed source supply and reducing the need to import seeds from abroad. In addition, by extending our Biosecurity Procurement Requirement for applicants to the government’s tree planting funds, we will bolster our biosecurity standards and improve the resilience of our trees against harmful pests and diseases.

Eligible activities for the Seed Sourcing grant include:

The Forestry Commission have produced a new Forestry Nursery Directory to help connect people who buy trees with people who grow trees.

Today’s announcement coincides with the Chelsea Flower Show. This year’s RHS Show shines a spotlight on the importance of protecting biodiversity and strengthening and growing native species.

Winners of the first round of the Seed Sourcing Grant include:

Notes for Editors

Seed Sourcing Grant

Biosecure Procurement Requirement