As at 1 January 2010, Defra was the biggest funder of projects at WHRI

The graphic shows HRI's portfolio of short-term (2009-2014) projects, and their funders -
the number of running projects plotted against date
(funders=Defra (the red line), HDC, BBSRC, the EC, EPSRC, & "others")
Projects started after 1 Jan 2010 not included
data from http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/whri/research/crop/currentprojects
and http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/whri/research/crop/recentprojects/

The history of Defra
Defra was formed in June 2001 by the merger of MAFF - the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food -
with part of the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions
plus a small part of the Home Office.

According to Wikipedia this came about
due to "the perceived failure of MAFF to deal adequately with an outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Department_for_Environment,_Food_and_Rural_Affairs

The history of Defra's own Research Agency (Fera)
1982:- the Rayner Efficiency Review
1992:- Central Science Laboratory launched as an Executive Agency
1997:- Offical opening of the site at at Sand Hutton, Yorkshire
(Source http://www.ogc.gov.uk/documents/Prof._Steve_Hill_-_Day1__Session4.pdf)
(See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Science_Laboratory)
2008:- Central Science Laboratory employed 626 persons
and had a turnover of UKP 49.75 million (operating surplus UKP 3.966 million) -
(Source CSL Annual Report for 2008-2009
http://www.fera.defra.gov.uk/news/documents/cslAnnualReport0809New0709.pdf)
2009:- Defra announced its "new national research centre for food and the environment".
The centre would "strengthen Defra?s ground-breaking (sic.) food, farming and environmental research programme".
The new "Food and Environment Research Agency" (Fera) was created by
the merger of Defra?s Central Science Laboratory at Sand Hutton, Yorkshire
with its Plant Health Division (including health of bees),
plus the Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate
and the Plant Variety Rights Office and Seeds Division.
1 April 2009:- Fera officially came into being.
http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2009/090114a.htm

MAFF/Defra's Fields of Study (at Fera, and elsewhere)
MAFF/ Defra has commissioned projects in a large number of Fields of Study,
from "Agriculture And Climate Change" to "Wildlife Management".

The largest number of projects has been in the Field of Study Animal Health,
followed by projects in Horticulture, in Pesticide Safety, in Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management ...
(source http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx?Menu=Menu&Module=FieldOfStudy&Completed=0 )

MAFF/Defra's support of Studies in Horticulture
MAFF/Defra's annual spend on projects in Horticulture reached a peak of UKP 12,383,042 in 1999.
There has been a steady decline since then. The figure foreseen for 2010 is UKP 965,437.

MAFF/ Defra's total spend since 1994 on Studies in Horticulture is UKP 115,097,585

Three contractors - Horticulture Research International, Warwick-HRI and East Malling Research received 78% of that total.

The remaining 22% was shared among the other 199 contractors.
(source http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx?Menu=Menu&Module=ProjectList&Completed=0&FOSID=15)

Defra and the Ministry of Agriculture