All articles by FPJ Staff – Page 253
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ArticleWaveney’s united strength
Kicking off this week’s focus, David Shapley finds a collective approach has been the salvation of Waveney Mushrooms, a six strong co-operative based in Norfolk.
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A major legal challenge for UK importers
Changes to the Plant Health regulations will provide a major challenge for importers next year and we continue to devote our
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Who’s headed for pastures new?
The Journal has appointed Ed Bedington as associate editor, to work alongside Tommy Leighton in his efforts to further develop
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Back the government all the way
Now there’s a headline I thought I’d never have to write. But, if you are one of the Doubting Thomases who thought
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ArticleGreeks on a roll
The Greeks won the European Championship; they’re about to host the Olympic Games; but more importantly will they have a good grape season? Emma Hatfield reports on this year’s crop.
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ArticleAvo go Mexico
New proposals put forward by the United States Department of Agriculture to lift importing restrictions on Mexican avocados have divided the Californian avocado sector. While many fear the increased competition, others have pointed to the possibility of pests and disease, and a return to the situation that led to the ban in the first place. Emma Hatfield reports.
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ArticleI am the mushroom man
Kicking off this week’s focus on mushrooms, New Covent Garden’s very own mushroom man Phill Dean tells Anabella de Sousa that he is still exuberant after four decades marketing the product.
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ArticleA dose of harsh reality
The mushroom industry needs to get a dose of harsh reality and recognise that the turnaround in fortune it hopes for may not happen in accordance with the desired timetable, John Smith, managing director of Re:fresh Packer of the Year Greyfriars, tells Tommy Leighton.
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ArticleChestnuts provide hope
At a time when the UK mushroom industry is under increasing pressure, news of expansion is a rare thing. Oakfield Farm Products however, is looking the future in the eye with a degree of confidence, says managing director Hugh Owens. While, unusually for an essentially English grower, the company has a farm at Stromproy in Holland that concentrates on exporting white mushrooms, it is the specialist production of organic chestnut mushrooms in the UK which will provide the expected boost. David Shapley reports.
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PMA profile
In this month’s profile on the Produce Marketing Association, the US trade association for fruit and vegetables outlines some of the highlights of its Fresh Summit 2004, which will take place on October 15-19, in Anaheim, California.
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Don’t get caught in search engine net
Adam Bernstein (pictured right) hosts a monthly look at one of the legislative aspects that most affect your business, how it is run and how it can be more profitable. This month, Nigel Miller analyses the pros and cons of internet search engines.
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PR stunt with one too few twists
If only the Scandinavian Reefer had been carrying a few containers of Pink Lady apples on deck, we could have had the perfect
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Myth? Just take a look around
The UK’s supermarkets must be laughing all the way to the bank this week, as another report fails to establish a link
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Where will blueberry fixation lead?
Only history will tell whether UK growers- with apologies to the far-sighted Trehane family - decide to move into blueberries.
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Violence has no support
Summer might not be as hot as expected for the holiday-goers of Rungis this August, but recent events have certainly got the
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ArticleBureau on borrowed time
The mushroom category is worth roughly £350 million in the UK, but it is has been anything but a happy hunting ground for suppliers in recent years. A mature market has led to commoditisation of the product and static prices. Consistently heavy losses have seen many established, large-scale companies disappear from the scene, unhelped by supplier rationalisation across the UK supermarket chains. UK growers have been particularly hard-hit, and production has halved in the last five years as intense international competition, rising costs and diminishing returns. In the next four issues, the Journal investigates the mushroom industry, beginning this week with the potential closure of the generic communication and promotional arm of the industry - the Mushroom Bureau.
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ArticlePears that purr
As the French summer pear season in the Rhône Valley got under way, albeit a week later than expected, UK supermarket buyers and importers were being canvassed with the latest crop information, as part of the national summer fruit campaign promotion organised through the UK office of Sopexa.
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ArticleSweet smell of profits
UK sweetcorn growers are predicting a steady season, characterised by neither shortage nor excess. But with European product scarce, 2004 could well be the year that offers home producers more lucrative opportunities than they have seen for a long time. Emma Hatfield reports.
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ArticleApple pie in the sky
Initial expectations for a favourable harvest and a series of well-targeted promotions should ensure that everything is in apple-pie order for this year’s much-awaited Bramley crop. Emma Hatfield reports.
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ArticleFlorette’s high five
Florette has just celebrated five years at its facility in Lichfield, Staffordshire, and is able to look back on half a decade of unbridled success in the bagged salad category. Tommy Leighton reports.