Research by the Guernsey Training Agency has found that many local growers do not have the time or resources to invest in training staff.

The Agency has teamed up with the Guernsey Growers' Association to create a programme targeted at the industry.

The programme will include sections on seasonal workers, and improving business and technical skills.

Stiff competition from abroad has seen Guernsey's horticulture industry dwindle from about 2,000 businesses in the 1970s to just 162.

But the latest research carried out by the training agency has discovered that firms are adapting well to the changing business environment.