There's an old Fleet Street adage that a journalist is only as good as his last story. This can, in many cases, be applied to trade associations, which are often only as effective as their chief executives.

They are the cornerstones that both support the public credibility of any industry and give it a voice in the lengthening corridors of legislation.

Hopefully the time has passed when being a member of a trade association was viewed as akin to joining the AA or RAC ñ to have someone there to help out in a crisis.

Certainly things have changed drastically since the Fresh Produce Consortium rose from the ashes of the National Federation of Fruit and Potato Trades, the Produce Packaging and Marketing Association, the Fruit Importers' Association and the Retail Fruit Trade Federation.

Massive, often time-wasting, conferences running for several days marked the fruit trade calendar in the past. Now, when representatives and delegates meet ñ by necessity it has to be short, sharp and to the point. Evidence of the number of trips made between Brussels and London are further proof of a far more demanding schedule.

This is not to belittle the efforts of past executives. But in today's world, the emphasis is more on national and international co-operation, as well as maintaining a watching brief on national government and EU legislation that can have far-reaching commercial repercussions.

There are few that would deny that the retirement plans of ceo Douglas Henderson will create the first major watershed in FPC history.

He has been largely responsible not just for the FPC's smooth running, but also ensuring that it successfully navigated an uncharted course in support of the government's 5-a-day strategy.

Judging by the FPC's recent annual review, he will be leaving a very full plate for his successor. There is the thorny issue of MRLs, and new codes of practice in the pipeline.

While Henderson indicated he would like to continue to serve the industry, his successor has the additional burden of continuing to convince a smaller membership ñ also a product of a changing industry ñ that the FPC represents value for money.

Meanwhile the announcement by the Worshipful Company of Fruiterers that it has launched a gift fruit basket website, which will benefit its charitable contributions ñ with the help of Mack ñ stirred a few memories for me.

The success of Interflora made a fruit equivalent an obvious commercial target. But I have lost count of the number of schemes that have come and gone in the last 40 years because either costs were too high, distribution too shaky, or simply because ñ even with names like Fruit-by-Wire ñ they never reached critical mass.

Modern communication should make the job easier, and talking to David Barratt of Mack Service, I now know that the system is proven. The company already supplies several major multiples and an airline.