This season’s tomato crop has been small, but considerably bigger than last year’s. Quality is said to be very good, although production reports suggest sizing is a little smaller than would normally be expected in the main European markets. Nevertheless, consumer feedback during taste tests has been extremely positive and the signs are that the surface area dedicated to tomato production will increase further in 2009.

That’s the latest news from my back garden, by the way. This year, for the first time ever, my wife and I decided to try and grow some vegetables in our back garden, and we haven’t done too badly. As we went to press, there were approximately 17 green peppers approaching maturation, as well as around 50 tomatoes, 10 plum tomatoes and the last of what has been a bumper crop of runner beans. The weather hasn’t been all that good – I think the tomatoes in particular could have done with more sunshine – but we’ve still managed to cultivate a good amount of veg which we would otherwise have bought from the supermarket. In total I reckon we’ve saved ourselves about £40 (€50), which might amount to only one tank of petrol these days but certainly makes it all worthwhile. Of course, more important is the fact that we’ve grown and then eaten the freshest possible produce, something which has hopefully brought not only good health but also a fair amount of enjoyment.

By all accounts, a lot of consumers in my country have decided to grow their own vegetables, much as they are doing elsewhere in Europe. It’s not that we’re sliding into poverty and can’t afford supermarket prices, of course, but the prospect of an economic recession by the end of this year has focused a few minds and made people far more aware of their previously unfettered spending. This matters to the fresh produce trade. The sight of more shelf space dedicated to vegetable seed packs in the supermarkets is a signal to the trade that inflation does have an immediate and visible impact. Naturally, those that have cherry tomatoes on tap in their greenhouse won’t bother to spend a couple of quid on those in the shops. Multiply this by the tens of thousands of people who are getting their fingers green again, and that adds up to quite a fair amount.

Before every apple season, the German apple trade surveys the so-called ‘backyard crop’, the domestic apple trees which can have a bearing on sales. Perhaps it’s time for the trade to start monitoring seed sales as well. Whatever, the fact that more and more consumers are discovering real, organic flavour, albeit produced by what I imagine are inefficient, possibly even environmentally unfriendly means, is a good thing for suppliers of the high quality, premium products.

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