Markets news from Fresh Produce Journal
Essential stories, analysis and research from UK’s fresh produce markets, with a focus on retail, wholesale, marketing, and consumers.
Fruitnet Tomato Congress presents: The Future of Tomatoes
This year’s Fruitnet Tomato Congress takes place in Malaga, Spain, on 11-12 November, with industry experts set to explore how the business is likely to evolve in the coming years
South Tyrol’s ‘Apple Walk’ connects tourists with orchard heritage
A new agritourism initiative in Italy’s South Tyrol is bringing visitors closer to the region’s apple production through an innovative educational trail that combines traditional farming knowledge with digital interactivity
Tesco expects bumper British cherry season this summer
Britain’s largest supermarket chain Tesco will sell only UK-grown cherries across most ranges from this week, as favourable spring weather conditions have led to a bumper harvest of sweeter, juicier fruit
M&S strawberries and cream sandwich goes viral ahead of Wimbledon
A limited edition strawberries and cream sandwich launched by M&S has sparked widespread social media attention, creating unexpected publicity ahead of the UK’s peak berry season
Driscoll’s brings berry joy to London with Soho pop-up
The Berry Patch pop-up sees the full range of Driscoll’s berries on display in London’s Soho with giveaways, limited edition merch and TikTok coverage
‘Glastonbury’ of regen farming set to welcome thousands
No-till cultivation, integrating trees with veg production and food policy debates among the wide-ranging sessions relevant to fresh produce sector at Groundswell regen farming festival
Tesco ahead in the race to sell most British apples
Asda and Lidl are at the top of the leaderboard for greatest increases in YOY sales of British top fruit as trade body releases interim results
Florette launches two new bowls for summer campaign
Salad brand said it’s doubling down on cuisine-led NPD as it eyes further growth in the prepared salad sector
Arra Cherry Crush continues to gain ground and open new markets
Volumes are building in Brazil, while 2025 marked the first commercial shipments from India
DP World wins triple crown at 2025 Multimodal Awards
Global trade enabler DP World has achieved a triple win at the 2025 Multimodal Awards in Birmingham, securing the Port Company of the Year title for the third consecutive year alongside two additional prestigious industry recognitions
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Spanish Picota producers launch 2025 UK marketing campaign
Spanish Picota cherries will hit UK stores from 30 June, supported by an extensive marketing campaign featuring chef collaborations, social media activity and in-store promotions during their short two-month availability window
Aldi to offer faster payments for smaller producers
Support from discounter comes in response to dry weather and is intended to help smaller suppliers manage cash flow challenges
Consumers shop little and often as temperatures and prices rise
Shopping frequency hits highest level since March 2020 with fresh fruit such as strawberries among the biggest winners
Co-op to halt sourcing relationships with countries violating international law
UK retailer Co-op Group has announced a new sourcing policy that will prohibit products from 17 countries identified as having community-wide human rights abuses, with implementation beginning June 2025
WRAP and Tesco call for urgent action to reduce global food waste
New collaboration will deliver ’programme of high-impact initiatives’, including a panel at London Climate Action Week on 25 June
Adaption key to success as FPJ celebrates 130th year
Editor Fred Searle was joined by predecessors Michael Barker and Tommy Leighton on stage at Festival of Fresh to reflect on how the magazine has survived despite a tough publishing climate
Amazon to be investigated for late supplier payments
The Groceries Code Adjudicator is launching the investigation with reasonable grounds to suspect Amazon has breached the code and is asking suppliers to contribute anonymously
UK raspberry growers celebrate best season in years
Exceptional growing conditions have brought the British raspberry crop on by almost two weeks with significantly high fruit size and yields
Consumers want ‘more British food’
Red Tractor’s Annual Trust in Food Index finds consumers think farmers are being undercut by imports, as findings offer public perspective of future trade deals
Oddbox sells ten million boxes of rescued fruit and veg
Founded in 2016, the group sources surplus and wonky fresh produce direct from farms and delivers it straight to people’s doors