China already grows more apples than the rest of the world and is still planting hard, so I wonder if I experienced the start of the inevitable invasion in Sainsbury’s, writes David Shapley.

Being described as sweet Fuji, loose fruit was priced at £1.29 a kg. There was not much to confirm its origin beyond the legal requirement, although the sticker gave a further clue.

While apples always tend to be in oversupply, there are some fruits that buyers have to search the world for to keep continuity going. At this time of the year apricots are usually as rare as hens’ teeth, but Marks & Spencer has been able to source from New Zealand. A punnet of six fruits at £3.49 certainly puts them in the luxury bracket - over 10 bob each in old money.

There does not appear to have been a shortage of grapefruit on the shelves, despite the impact of a heavily reduced Florida crop. Tesco for example is selling “juicing fruit”. But in overall terms I do get the feeling that there have been some changes in most multiples’ size specification as a way to eke out supplies.

This is certainly not the case with tomatoes where the plethora of packs, varieties, shapes and sizes continue to arrive unabated. One that caught my eye in particular is in Asda’s Extra Special range. It comes from Yorkshire which has been experiencing real winter conditions. The sweet plum type not only looked good, but was packed in a moulded tray more akin to a chocolate box, and all for £1.29.

In the same store there was evidence that the prepared vegetable sector is marching on with the arrival of a new 150g pack that, apart from purple sprouting broccoli and sugar snap, more unusually contained yellow beans at £1.36.

While vegetable devotees will never accept it, it has often been said that in comparison with fruit, vegetables are boring. Undeterred, New Zealanders for example are very keen to expand sales of kumara, the tuber is a national delicacy and is now being exported to the UK. The problem is that it looks so much like a potato it gets lost in the crowd. One way perhaps is to enhance the description on pack.

Even the humble spring onion at 99p a bunch is being given a makeover in Tesco. I am not quite sure what “Continental style” conjures up, bit it is a step in the right direction.