My career in the fresh produce industry began in the early 1960s coinciding with Agrexco's arrival on the scene.

The majority of people I have met on my world travels around the industry since then have demonstrated more than a sneaking regard for Israeli technology.

There are not many places, particularly in those developing countries where fruit and vegetables are a mainstay of the economy, that a scientist equally at home at the Volcani Institute does not seem to pop up. If these worthies are not exploring new production techniques or managing emerging farms, they are usually installing irrigation.

And there was every indication at the Agrexco conference held in the UK last week that the momentum driving technological advances in Israel is still as powerful as ever.

I had the impression that while its herb industry may only be a small, specialist niche sector, the way that herb-crop information can now be linked to distribution could teach other industries a few lessons.

Herb-growing was historically considered a cottage industry ñ in fact it has virtually every attribute that should curtail its growth. Production is specialised and often seasonal. It is more labour intensive than soft fruit or mushrooms, and the presentation and packing costs must be horrendous.

Add to that the product's extremely perishable nature and in-store wastage levels, and one understands the Herculean task that endless cookery programmes and publications have realised in elevating herb demand far beyond mint sauce and parsley garnish. Coriander, basil and everything else are becoming as commonplace as pepper and salt.

Israel was fast to spot this change in eating habits. One of the most intriguing statistics revealed at the conference was that of an El Al jumbo jet carrying a record 80 tonnes of herbs to market ñ another firm indication of how things have changed.

But apart from the products themselves, it is the technology behind them that points the way to a brave new world where, theoretically, retailers can watch the progress of crops growing on a daily basis, negotiate the price and then order, all via a computer.

Meanwhile, there is no doubt that Agrexco, after several years, has provided an impressive example of what is possible. It gives substance to the schemes, already being tested in other produce sectors, intriguing retailers with the possibility of developing auctions among their category suppliers to supplement buying programmes.

Meanwhile as an after-thought ñ and not being a linguist ñ I must admit I wondered how even the Israelis got over the problem of writing and explaining a software programme to their growers when they freely admit there is apparently no Hebrew word for deterioration.

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