Allfruit International will market around 50 per cent more tomatoes from the Canary Islands in the UK this season, after securing on Wednesday the 2.5 million tray crop of Las Palmas co-operative Copaisan.

Cooperative Copaisan de Las Palmas was previously part of the Fortuna Group, on Gran Canaria, but has now joined the Allfru Group, based in Tenerife. Allfru will market the entire Copaisan crop on the continent and in the UK, through New Ash Green based Allfruit International.

The move is particularly significant in view of the traditional rivalry between the two islands, with Gran Canaria long having held the position of the largest tomato exporter in the Canaries. The decision of Copaisan to transfer allegiance is a real coup for Allfru and will come as a blow to the island.

Luis Fernandez, the principal representative of the Allfru Group in the UK and executive advisor to Allfruit International, told freshinfo. 'We very much welcome this addition to the group, which will expand our total Canary Islands volume for the European market this season to more than 10 million trays of fruit.

'In the UK last season, we marketed 2.2m trays of Canary tomatoes. This season, depending on the weather, we will be handling between 3m and 3.5m trays, including our usual high quality marques and additionally the Copaisan marques, Tovi, Kisses and Sun Fresh, which have always enjoyed a reputation for their high quality calyxed fruit,' said Fernandez.

The first small volumes will arrive in the UK early next week, with the first scheduled vessel docking a few days later, in Southampton.

Fernandez, who headed Pascual Fruit Importers in the UK for 30 years before working as a consultant for Allfru, said the group is confident in the ability of its customers in the UK market to take this extra volume of fruit. 'We are doing this because we believe we have the right quality of fruit and the right customers to ensure reasonable returns,' he said.

'Ten years ago, 90 per cent of Allfru's fruit went to the wholesale markets in the UK, now between 80 and 85 per cent is sold on a direct basis. Our wholesale business is till very successful and valuable to us – the programmed volumes add a degree of guarantee to our season.'

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