PRESS RELEASE
26 JULY 2013
Fruit Focus 2013: Growers flock to biggest event yet
Hot sunny weather that has helped boost the fortunes of fruit growers this season continued to shine on the 1200 visitors that attended Fruit Focus 2013.
With a record 126 exhibitors on tap, the event provided an unrivalled opportunity to keep abreast of the latest developments on show and underlined Fruit Focus’ position as the UK’s leading showcase for the fruit sector. The event took place at East Malling Research, Kent, on 24 July.
Two pressing topics overshadowing the fruit sector – fairness in the supply chain and seasonal workers – were aired. Christine Tacon, the newly appointed Groceries Code Adjudicator, urged fruit growers to inform her of any unfair demands being put on them by the supermarkets.
Speaking to a packed audience at the NFU Fruit Forum, she said: “This is your big chance to sort the industry out. Unless you let me know what’s going on, I won’t be able to help.”
Ms Tacon, who took up her role on 25 June, oversees a legally binding code of practice introduced three years ago. It is designed to curtail practices that pass risk from the supermarket down the chain, such as lump sum payments to cover profit shortfalls or demands to fund promotions. It covers all retailers with a turnover of more than £1bn.
Although the Code had been in place for three years very few breaches had been reported, due to a “climate of fear” that a complaint against a retailer would cost a supplier its business. “I can take complaints anonymously – I need to know who you are, but the retailer doesn’t,” Ms Tacon said.
While she was able to launch investigations that could result in large fines being imposed on supermarkets found guilty of breaching the code, such investigations would be resource hungry, Ms Tacon said.
She hoped her preferred route of working closely with code compliance officers (CCOs) would be sufficient to build more trust into the supply chain. These senior staff appointed by supermarkets already appeared to be onside, given the threat of adverse publicity as well as sizeable fines, she added.
Another issue attracting plenty of sector interest, the potential demise of the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme (SAWS), also saw a full house.
Anthony Snell, Herefordshire fruit grower and chairman of the West Midlands NFU Horticulture Board, feared the scheme was becoming embroiled in politics. “The big message for government is that it is not an immigration issue, it should not even be political. It is purely economic, being about the availability of seasonal labour to pick crops to ensure a vibrant horticultural industry.”
Describing the scheme as tried and tested, he said he could not manage without the 250-300 workers he employed each season on his farm. They were young workers who paid their taxes and National Insurance and then went home. Urging government to rethink its plans to close the scheme at the end of 2013, he said: “It is a brilliant system and must be continued without a break.”
A Migration Advisory Committee report on seasonal migrant workers published in May concluded that British farmers should be able to recruit enough seasonal workers in the first one to two years without the scheme after working restrictions on Bulgarian and Romanian nationals are lifted at the end of this year.
Chief horticulture adviser Hayley Gibbons said an NFU survey revealed a very different outcome, with 50% of growers doubtful that workers from Bulgaria and Romania would come back to the sector once access to the wider job market and permanent work opened up.
“With a £3bn farm-gate value for this industry that’s a big gamble to take,” she said. Given the dearth of UK labour, she added: “Producers may not be able to deliver – it is very important that SAWS is not caught up in a top-line immigration debate.”
Despite the latest ever start to the soft fruit season, Berry Gardens reported record sales of strawberries in the three weeks from 23 June, with over 1700t sold to supermarkets each week, helped by great weather and Andy Murray’s Wimbledon success.
“When crops finally started to ripen, a lot of fruit came very quickly,” said managing director Nicholas Marston. “Fortunately we had anticipated this situation and sales plans were prepared to reflect the later, bigger crops. Retailers really got behind strawberries. Sales have held up very well since.”
The concentrated flush in mid-June gave growers a huge workload, said chairman Paul Kelsey. However, growers’ returns had been assisted by above-average yields – up to 40t/ha – and higher sales values, up 3.87% up to mid July compared with the same period in 2012.
Raspberry sales had also been delayed but were now at their peak and, like strawberries, heading for an all-time high. Sales were hitting around 400t per week, said Mr Marston. “We will have several weeks of our highest sales ever.”
British Summer Fruits, the UK body dedicated to the promotion of British-grown soft and stone fruits, has announced a new £100,000 online advertising campaign to help maintain sales and value of the strawberry crop over the next couple of months.
Chairman Laurence Olins said: “We are facing a tsunami of fruit. Everything is catching up – the 60-day crop is ripening quicker and everbearers are ripening sooner.”
Click-through banners would appear on several consumer websites taking them to British Summer Fruits’ Facebook page, where they could access recipes and purchase ingredients directly.
On the technical front, the Say NO to DRIFT consortium outlined the need for chlorpyrifos stewardship guidelines to protect this key insecticide for the top and soft fruit sectors.
Low-drift nozzles set the new standard for all applications, said independent consultant Rene Pollak. “In just 18 months awareness and uptake of this technology has increased from 7% to 91% of [top fruit] growers either using or planning to use it.”
Working demonstrations included John Deere specialist fruit tractors equipped with John Deere’s GreenStar system and Platipus’ high-performance stainless steel anchor systems and end-post kits.
A new range of unmanned, remote-controlled, skid-steer machines from Solo, including an air-blast sprayer that can apply pesticide to orchards and vineyards while the operator stands up to 100m away, was also demonstrated by distributor Richard Burton.
Key technical developments included precision agronomy, with Agrovista combining the latest remote monitoring technology and coir developments, while Agrii featured its network of over 100 weather stations monitoring real-time data and providing pest and disease warnings.
Yara showed its new fertigation planning tool that takes a more bespoke approach to the correct nutrient type, timing, application accuracy and macro and micro-nutrient requirements.
Everris demonstrated its precision nutrition programme, Angela, tailoring fruit crop nutrition to the exact needs of a specific crop.
Viridaxis launched an innovative release device for its FresaProtect and BerryProtect natural aphid control systems.
Proseal showed its recently launched E Seal technology and the benefits this can bring to fruit packaging operations.
Gripple demonstrated its newest wire joiner, the Dynamic 4, designed to simplify anchoring and bracing with a load rating of 750kg.
A new strawberry variety from East Malling Research (EMR) named ‘Malling Centenary’ to mark the 100th anniversary of the research station was officially introduced on the Meiosis Limited stand. The variety bears attractive, uniform fruit with a sweet flavour and excellent shelf life.
EMR’s research tours proved as popular as ever. They outlined the use of molecular markers to speed up the breeding of water-efficient strawberries with improved health benefits, alternative methods of controlling pests in soft fruit and a high-yielding concept pear orchard.
Vines to Wines, partnered by English Wine Producers and United Kingdom Vineyard Association, gave would-be growers and producers an insight into what the UK wine industry had to offer.
In addition, there were two well-attended WineSkills workshops in the event’s demonstration vineyard – Summer pruning and canopy management and An approach to disease monitoring. Both were delivered in association with WineSkills, an initiative managed by Plumpton College.
Jon Day, event director at Fruit Focus organiser Haymarket Exhibitions, said the success of this year’s event outlined growers’ hunger to improve their businesses.
“With over 120 exhibitors in attendance, Fruit Focus offers an unrivalled opportunity in the UK for growers to keep up-to-date with the latest technology, business and variety developments,” he said.
Chris Mack, chairman of Fruit Focus principal sponsor Mack, said: "Once again, Fruit Focus has shown how much energy and drive there is in British fruit production at the moment.
“This year it was a particular pleasure for me to meet the people behind the new Malling Centenary strawberry, and to see the pride that comes with seeing years of hard work come to fruition. My congratulations to the event organisers for another seamless, well-attended day."
Fruit Focus returns to East Malling Research on 23 July 2014.
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Notes to Editors
- Fruit Focus takes place on Weds 24th July 2013 at East Malling, Kent. Opening times 9am – 5pm.
- Show features include leading suppliers’ stands, crop plots, a live demonstration area, the NFU Fruit Forums, fruit research farm tours and the Vines to Wines exhibition and seminar programme
- Principal sponsor – Mack. A major supplier of fruit and vegetables to the UK’s multiple retailers, the company history of this family-owned business stretches back to 1874, with a strong heritage in growing and marketing UK-produced fruit from their base at Paddock Wood in Kent.
- Other key sponsors – NFU and Berry Gardens
- Fresh Produce Journal is event media partner
- Fruit Focus is organised and presented by Haymarket Business Exhibitions and supported by Horticulture Week/Grower
- Visitors will qualify for 4 BASIS points / 2 NRoSO CPD points for attending the event.
Contacts:
Robert Harris / Jon DayFruit Focus PR / Event Director
Robert Harris Communications / Haymarket Business Exhibitions
01424 883383 / 01788 892042
07768 402850 / 07717 541500
/
Haymarket Exhibitions
Bragborough Farm, Welton Road, Braunston, Daventry, Northants, NN11 7JG