All articles by FPJ Staff – Page 151
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ArticleA sustainable argument
In a society that is becoming more and more concerned with the world around it, the fresh produce industry is moving towards both an environmentally and financially sustainable future. Elizabeth O’Keefe investigates the key drivers and barriers to sustainability for fresh produce businesses.
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ArticleTwenty years for Poupart Four
Twenty years is a long time in fresh produce, as many veterans of the industry will undoubtedly agree. Most might also agree that 20 minutes would be a long time to work with three members of their own family. But at Poupart, four members of the Olins clan have just celebrated two decades of working together harmoniously, and with a considerable degree of success. They talked to Tommy Leighton.
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Soil Association guidance flawed
The transition from autumn to winter came hard this year; we felt almost deprived of a summer and put our clocks back with
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Ombudsman looking out for little guys
Adam Bernstein hosts the FPJ’s monthly spotlight on the legislation that affects your business, and how you can use it to your advantage. This month, he explains how the Financial Ombudsman Services is fighting the corner for small companies.
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Shoppers want something old and something new
the taste for new flavours and shapes remains unabated on the high street. At the same time I get the impression that there is
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ArticleTragedy gives us all perspective
Sometimes, events beyond our control put life and work in perspective for us. A week like this, when the death of four
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ArticleSpanish exotics find a home
The Spanish cherimoya and persimmon crops date back as far as the 18th century, but it is only now that these Spanish exotic lines are beginning to make an impact on the UK market. Elizabeth O’Keefe reports from the main growing areas of cherimoya and persimmon in Spain.
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ArticleThe teardrop explodes
D’Anjou pears have traditionally been viewed as the “hardware” of the sector by north-west US growers and their customers alike. But the teardrop-shaped variety, in both its red and green forms, has undergone a dramatic transition in many domestic quarters, thanks to widespread preconditioning of the fruit. The ripened fruit has also made limited headway internationally, but now the US industry wants the rest of the world to follow its lead and embrace preconditioning. Tommy Leighton visited the states of Oregon and Washington to find out more.
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ArticlePear drop set to stop
The European pear market is stable this year and volumes are steady, but with some producers having switched from apples to pears to secure better returns and new plantings set to reach maturity in the next few years, the search for new markets is underway. Anna Sbuttoni reports.
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Still a long road for organics
Reading the headlines this week, I must admit that we have come a long way since the 1970s when awareness of a very limited
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All aboard to save the environment
Last week, the giant round of brainstorming and negotiation on the future direction and strength of France’s commitment
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Fresh produce functions as healthy option
Greg Mann, general manager for business development at New Zealand-based HortResearch, told the Healthy Food Summit in London last week that fruit is a key ingredient in the functional food sector. Earlier, he talked to Anna Sbuttoni about emerging trends.
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Passing interest in interim findings
Reports. You can’t live with them and you can’t live without them in this day and age. And two humdingers hit the
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ArticleIsrael bumps up the volume
From citrus to root vegetables, a multitude of Israeli winter fruit and vegetables are amongst the staples of many UK consumers from September until the end of April. The UK is traditionally a strong performer for Israeli growers and exporters, and, with a good production season underway, this year will be no exception. Elizabeth O’Keefe reports.
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ArticleStill pulling in the punters
Evesham has long been associated with fresh produce, and over the years the diversity and range of the fruit and vegetable firms making the town their home has grown significantly. Laura Gould spoke to some of the region’s key players to find out what drew them to Worcestershire in the first place - and, more importantly, what keeps them loyal to the area.
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ArticleBig decision for second city
The wholesale market in the centre of Birmingham has served the city and its 100-mile radius well for the last 33 years but, with the tenants’ leases set to expire in September 2009, what is the future for the market?
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ArticleWolves tradition winning the day
Traders at Wolverhampton pride themselves on the traditional atmosphere in their wholesale market, says chairman of the tenants’ association Steve Durnell, from Brooks Brothers Ltd, and this has made the site an attractive alternative to its larger counterpart in Birmingham. “We are a small, friendly market - easily approachable, with a family atmosphere,” he says.
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Back to the future for online trading
Two new online produce trading forums launched in the US this month aim to offer the fresh produce industry a quicker and easier way of conducting business on the internet. Meanwhile, UK retailers look forward to a new food labelling vision, and Capespan has made its operations more efficient thanks to a new memory solution.
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Caught in a technical claptrap
My last column celebrated Canada’s exuberant displays of fresh produce and their ability to embrace the product as