Strawberry news, Soft fruit news - Well Pict European

22. Well Pict European Tunnels Moving Forward: New production site. Well-Pict European Tunnels is setting up a new production facility based in southern Portugal. Engineered Farming Solutions (EFS), who supplies WET out of South Africa, has been instrumental in organising the unit in southern Europe. WET’s Kevin Holroyd believes the move was an inevitable step; “this new site will allow us to keep up with changing global trends in the price of raw material, as well as better serve the UK and European markets from a strategic point of view”. In order to maintain a high level of control, WET has employed Anthony Cox, a member of the original team behind EFS. Cox has been taken on as the general manger of WET and is relocating from South Africa to Portugal. Cox has been travelling between the southern and northern hemisphere regularly over the last few months to ensure that everything is set for production. The bespoke equipment has been made in South Africa (based on EFS designs) to comply with all European safety standards. Cox is confident that the facility should start production early February 2005. UK Agents: WET has chosen to align itself with key companies in the agricultural sector to assist in the promotion and sales of WET products. Significant relationships have been forged with Richard Brown from Ledbury-based Hortech Solutions and Ron Stevenson from Spalding-based Dejex Supplies. Both companies are well established and respected in the industry and they, like WET, have confidence in the products they have to offer. Holroyd is looking forward to long-standing associations with both companies. WET South Africa: With the production unit in Portugal better suited to supply the European market, WET SA will be focusing all its attentions on the African market. With the huge developments in the soft fruit industry, there is a large demand for quality crop protection; the new varieties being introduced into the market by the Well-Pict European Marketing Trust require tunnel protection. The other fruit producers in South Africa (suppliers of cherries, raspberries etc) are also becoming more aware of the benefits of tunnelled production. Angela van Vuuren has been appointed in a marketing and PR role for WET SA and she is confident the company will gain large market share in what it believes is still a hugely untapped market. Peter Windsor heads up the South African sales team and will continue to be heavily involved in new designs and products for both the African and European markets. New product development will continue to be carried out by the UK and South African businesses; the team in Portugal will join them in creating innovative solutions to the everyday problems faced by growers. Overall, Holroyd and Cox are very happy with the alterations to WET and they believe the new structure will allow them to bring a superior quality product at the most competitive prices to their customers across the globe. Source: Well Pict European Ltd, http://www.wellpict-european.com/news.htm

21. ESP psyches itself up for major expansion: Evesham Specialist Packaging Ltd’s 6th year providing packaging management and distribution services to the fresh produce industry will see the team in a move to a new facility in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire (pictured).  The relocation follows a decision to purchase premises suitable for BRC accreditation in a strategic location close to the M5 motorway. After 5 years of successful trading, increasing its turnover by £1 million year on year, the company has outgrown its 9000 sq ft site on Strawberry Hill on the outskirts of Newent and plans to move into its head office, a 13,000 sq ft renovated printworks, at the beginning of 2005. Duncan Macdonald, Ronan Lynch, Richard Mitchell and Douglas Wilson set up ESP in May 1998 to complement an existing wholesale bedding plant nursery and garden centre. They run a very tight ship and manage the £6 million turnover company with just 6 full-time members of staff, providing a 7-day a week service, essential during the summer months.  They claim this, as well as their cost effectiveness thanks to close links with numerous manufacturers, is what sets them apart from the rest of the industry.  ESP has been providing AMS’s Herefordshire grower Charles Houlbrooke with the majority of his packaging since the company began and he is very satisfied with their dedicated and efficient service - even with short notice and often at very unsociable hours. ESP has also been supplying boxes, tapes, punnets and bags to AMS Ltd since the outset.  Its new site will offer an improved service to AMS as it will facilitate the storage of extra and more varied stock. The AMS team and ESP worked closely and quickly to produce the cherry pack divider that was rolled out on to ASDA shelves during the last week of November.  This innovative divider was masterminded, designed, approved and manufactured within just two weeks exclusively for AMS Ltd to supply to ASDA stores. ESP’s philosophy is to take the bull by the horns.  Realising there is a major shortage of crates in supermarkets during this peak period, the company has used its initiative and, according to Macdonald, designed a corrugated “dead ringer” for the plastic version, which is now being produced in heavy grade, double wall board (pictured right).  The size of the carton is identical to the most common plastic tray footprints meaning there is no effect on palletisation patterns and a variety of depths are available.  It has an open top and is therefore display friendly as well as being printable with more and easier branding options, stackable, space saving because it is delivered flat and no expensive equipment is required as it is quickly hand assembled. The Tewkesbury site will give ESP the opportunity to take on more clients and deliver via a wider distribution network throughout the UK & countries as diverse as Hungary, South Africa and India. Source: Well Pict European Ltd, http://www.wellpict-european.com/news.htm

20. Exclusive winter BG633: The Middle East has always been the traditional source for winter strawberries.  Over the years, Well-Pict European has built up strong relationships in this region; one of the strongest being with Mr. Khalil Abu Ghannam (Abu Ghannam Farms) in Jordan. For three years running the company has topped WPE’s winter quality performance tables and it is keen to retain this title for the 04/05-winter season. Abu Ghannam Farms has 15ha of production, all of which is protected. Since the 90s, they have used a method of solarisation to disinfect the soil without the need to apply chemicals.  Polythene sheets are used with the irrigation system – from June to August for at least forty days. The soil temperature reaches 50-51 degrees centigrade at 25cm and 60 degrees at 10cm; which is enough to kill the majority of soil diseases and pests. Khalil is currently conducting organic trials with the help of a PHD student from Jordan University’s faculty of agriculture. In addition, Khalil’s son will be working on the Well-Pict European farm in Portugal next year to gain experience in hydroponic production as it has shown interest in trialing this method as well. Last year Abu Ghannam Farms produced a number of varieties for the 03/04 season, including Camarosa, Oso Grande and Honor (pictured above). However, Khalil had such success with Honor (BG 633) that it was the only variety he planted for this season. Abu Ghannam Farms has exclusivity of Honor in Jordan, as well as being the only producer of the variety in the Middle East. Source: Well Pict European Ltd, http://www.wellpict-european.com/news.htm 

19. Earliest ever crop: The Well-Pict European farm in Portugal has started picking earlier than ever before this season; the first harvest of Festival was on the 29th November, almost a month earlier than the first fruit was picked last season (22/12/03). The team in Portugal has put in an additional 16ha of Spanish-type tunnels and two new hectares of hydroponics. This brings the total in production for the 04/05 season to 36ha (34 covered and 2 uncovered). This area is made up of Festival (pictured), Sabrosa (Candonga), PS 592 (Endurance) and Camarosa. This selection should allow them to continue harvesting until the middle or end of August with PS 592. At the peak of production, the farm will need in the region of 300 harvesters. This season sees the team putting a big effort into getting it right for the UK market.  The early Festival, Sabrosa and hydroponic Camarosa have been planted for the UK; however, some of the end-of-season Festival and Camarosa are expected to go to Norway. The majority of the PS 592 crop is destined for the French market with a small percentage reserved for Holland.  As Portugal reaches the end of its season, it will switch to supplying the Spanish home market. In addition to the new tunnels, a new ferti-irrigation system has been installed that will see the whole farm monitored by computer. Source: Well Pict European Ltd, http://www.wellpict-european.com/news.htm 

18. Branded berries: Well-Pict European prepare to launch own brand product for European market. Well-Pict European has been quietly nurturing the integrity of its supply base over the past few years. The main impetus has focused on being able to serve the UK marketplace, currently the largest destination for its specialist berry lines. While production sources such as South Africa has a role supplying the UK, it has taken up the challenge of developing the home market, and constructively using the WPE branding of bespoke varieties and building product and service integrity. The WPE brand team met recently to discuss the launch of its new range of packaging formats in addition to using its supply chain network to build its business throughout Europe. Seen as a means to further enhance its current customer base through operating efficiencies, the program also offers tangible benefits for its own production and growers who currently work under the WPE umbrella. Growers have been keen to adopt the branding initiative as a means to being part of a more substantial force at the point of sale. Growers can see that it is possible to develop small niche markets for their own farms but customers look for a consistency of supply over a long season that growers are unable to fulfil. The production base will continue to develop the integrity of product they offer. This has developed through association with sound breeding programs and agronomic advances to produce fruit that has favourable consumer acceptance. A key element is the company’s development of food safety initiatives allowing any customer the assurance that products are safe and meet all legislative requirements. Successful growing is very much about programming sales for a forecast demand; the days of speculative production are all but numbered. WPE currently sells products from seven countries to nine European destinations and South Africa. While the current procurement-driven offices of the company have also been the principal conduits for sales, WPE is looking to form alliances with other organisations and companies to extend their network of sales. To date, all sales have started slowly and been built on the company’s expertise in ensuring the customers requirements are fully met. European sales of berries are expanding rapidly and there are few other companies able to succeed in meeting the new service and product expectations. Prior to the next edition of Growing News, the new branded packs will be launched and available to participating growers. Source: Well Pict European Ltd, http://www.wellpict-european.com/news.htm

17. A woman’s touch – Tess Gebers: Small in stature, big of heart – this is probably the best description of Tess Gebers. Well*Pict European South Africa is proud to have her flying our colours in the Eastern Cape Province. Tess currently grows Commitment, Endurance, Eris and Chandler varieties and, although her strawberry production area is still relatively small, her success in growing some of the highest quality berries the country means her business is set to grow exponentially. When did you decide to grow strawberries? I started growing strawberries in 2000. I initially wanted to do a cut flowers project and then did strawberries because I think they are a beautiful product. Also, the Eastern Cape has a very high unemployment and, with this being a labour intensive industry, it all fits together very nicely. What is your background? I grew up in a farming environment in the midlands of Natal. I did Social Science at the University of Cape Town and Business Management with the Cape Town Chamber of Commerce afterwards. My career was in marketing and advertising. I married and had three children, after which I studied horticulture. What type of production do you have? I have some tunnels, but more open field. We use open hydroponics (soil as medium) with pressure compensated drippers. How has the industry changed in four years? Better varieties are now available. The local market has grown significantly but there is still room for growth if you provide a quality product. Our customers are now far more discerning. How did you get involved with Well*Pict South Africa? It’s all the Windsors’ fault! What do you think of the Plant Sciences / Berry Genetics varieties? It is still early days with these varieties but so far they have been really great for our enterprise.  We have had particular success with Endurance (PS592) but still have a bit of tweaking to do on Commitment (BG269). What does the future hold? Who knows? I think the possibilities are endless. Tess and Paul’s operation, Barn Berries, is ideally located within earshot of the temperate Indian Ocean; not too far from the provincial capital city of Port Elizabeth. A moderate winter with cool summer breezes, which gather from the sea, gives Tess the ideal climate for berry production. The farm’s sandy soils allow her to control her nutrients to an exacting degree. Hal and Judith Johnson, on a recent visit from Plant Sciences / Berry Genetics of California, commented that her growing skills were probably among the best they had seen in South Africa. Tess is a real innovator, combining sound growing principles with interesting lateral ideas such as the use of lion dung hung on her perimeter fences to scare away the indigenous buck that have in the past paid homage to her precious strawberries. Tess has a great sense of humour and is well respected by all her male counterpart growers, suppliers and customers alike and her contributions to the various processes are always well received. It seems as if her husband Paul’s, patience is finally paying off since Tess is now regarded as one of the region’s preferred suppliers. She was recently honoured by receiving the Fresh Produce Supplier of the Year Award from Pick ‘n Pay Eastern Cape. Chris Charter, head of the Well*Pict European Marketing Trust (SA), congratulates her and says, “This is the first of many awards that Tess will receive”.  Helene Keyser, Pick ‘n Pay’s national berry technologist, had the following to say: “It is a privilege dealing with a farmer who is so passionate about her farm, her strawberries and her customers.  The constant excellent quality, good and open communication with the whole produce team and her commitment towards food safety makes Tess a worthy winner of Pick 'n Pay Eastern Cape's Supplier of the Year award.” Source: Well Pict European Ltd, http://www.wellpict-european.com/news.htm 

16. Commitment endures hail for first commercial S.A. crop: 2004 was the first year PS-592 Endurance and BG-269 Commitment were grown commercially in South Africa. As expected, they have had mixed success. Both varieties were produced in the three major growing regions in South Africa; Stellenbosch in the Western Cape, George in the Southern Cape and Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape. Commitment has performed well in Stellenbosch while Endurance performed best in Port Elizabeth. Both have done well in George despite a major hailstorm in September, which set back Commitment by seven weeks. We have learned from this and taken the decision to cover as much of our production as possible with Spanish-style tunnels. Even though these varieties are very different from anything previously available in South Africa, which caused problems for some farms adapting to new production techniques, they have been well received by growers, supermarkets and consumers. In some instances they have benchmarked the industry with their exceptional size and shape. Commitment and Endurance require a lot more attention to detail than most South African growers are familiar with and the varieties are sure to improve as they adjust to this during the coming season. We are excited about Honour, Patience and Promise being introduced into South Africa and look forward to growing them in the future. Honour will be well suited to the warmer regions such as the Northern part of South Africa and parts of the Western Cape. Promise will fill the gap in the market and allow us to grow and supply strawberries all year round. Source: Well Pict European Ltd, http://www.wellpict-european.com/news.htm

15. AMS EXOTIC: http://www.ams-exotic.com Exotics’ display at PMA - What does a natural harbour and mating place for Orcas (killer whales), large schools of tuna fish, sardines, anchovies, home to some of the loudest sea lions in the world and John Steinbeck have in common with AMS Exotic and fresh produce? It’s Monterey, California; home to Orcas, Cannery Row (made famous by John Steinbeck) and at one point in its history included some of the largest fish canneries in the US.  Some of the best growing areas in California are also located near Monterey, such as Watsonville and the Salinas valley.  Monterey is the host city for the annual Produce Marketing Association Foodservice (PMA) convention where, this year, AMS Exotic sponsored a booth with over 1500 potential customers visiting. The theme of the AMS Exotic booth was a backyard setting complete with barbeque and cornucopia display of the fruits and vegetables it ships on a daily basis to its customers across the US.  Some of the produce on display included the company’s value added vegetables (packed in state of the art breathable bags to extend shelf life), the complete line of fresh herbs, Asian fruits and vegetables, various fresh fruits, and whole peeled garlic and shallots. The booth attracted many new and potential customers (some of which are already doing business with AMS Exotics) and everyone commented favourably on the large display of so many specialty items.  The enthusiastic AMS Exotic sales team of Sinera Chau-Pech, Mike LeBarre, and Edna Dollarhide manned the stand, the first time AMS had participated at the PMA, and they feel it was very successful.  The team is looking forward to being involved again in the future. Source: Well Pict European Ltd, http://www.wellpict-european.com/news.htm

14. Breeding diversity: The roots of Stargrow South Africa began in 1992, Michiel Prins and Chris Goodman started a rootstock business that produced clonal rootstocks of apples, pears and stone fruits. This would develop into a business that could supply about 75% of the South African fruit industries' need for clonal rootstocks. Now the company has sophisticated propagation facilities enabling them to quickly multiply and supply rootstock cultivars. They are also conducting rootstock trials on several sites to supply the industry with accurate information. In May 1995, Michiel and Chris started a nursery whose main purpose was to supply deciduous fruit trees to the domestic market. At this time, they also started a breeding and cultivar development programme. Between 95 and 98 Stargrow diversified into a range of other agricultural crops, which has enabled them to supply a wide range of plant material. Stargrow are currently handling approximately 1.9 million units of the products above, as well as about 2.25 million rootstocks. This makes Stargrow the biggest nursery in South Africa in terms of volume and diversity. The company is also a fruit cultivar development and management company, its business is to identify opportunities for new cultivars globally and to breed, acquire, evaluate, control and commercialise these cultivars through a network of Master Agents worldwide. Stargrow is a registered Plant Improvement Organisation (one of only three in South Africa). This means that Stargrow controls the phytosanitary and genetic requirements of plant material within the South African governments certification scheme. It takes from about one year to 18 months for plant material to be released from quarantine in South Africa, in the case of berries Stargrow have the option to bring several thousand plants into open quarantine, which enables them to produce commercial quantities within one to two years. Although Stargrow hold the dominant share for berries, volumes are low compared to other fruits. With a view to developing the South African berry business into a leading winter export contender Stargrow is now a member of the Well-Pict European Marketing Trust, they, along with Morester Nurseries are working with Well-Pict European to develop the Plant Science and Berry Genetic strawberry varieties for which Well-Pict European is Master Licence holder. Source: Well Pict European Ltd, http://www.wellpict-european.com/news.htm 

13. Developing trust: The Well-Pict Trust is now fully up and running in South Africa.  The Trust represents about 70% of the country’s strawberry production and membership of raspberry and cherry growers is set to increase significantly in 2005. The Trust acts as a single channel marketing organisation.  It became necessary for three main reasons: to coordinate the supply of soft fruit to the export, retail and non-retail markets, to take advantage of economies of scale and to protect the intellectual property rights incorporated in the Plant Breeders’ Act. The objectives and modus operandi of the Trust are listed briefly below. The primary objective of the Trust is to serve the interests of the growers, plant breeders and owners and customer base to promote a win, win scenario by: Ensuring the volumes planted are in accordance with market requirements, Building brand recognition for all fruit grown and sold, Benchmarking and therefore guaranteeing minimum quality standards, Working with the customers to advance its sales through consistent national supply, guaranteed quality, innovation and reasonable pricing, Exploiting the export market wherever possible, Working with Stargrow Cultivar Development (Pty) Ltd to ensure compliance with the Plant Breeders Act. The WP Marketing Trust is a cooperative organisation, representing a wide spectrum of growers around the country on a 1 vote, 1 share basis. The Trust is responsible for soliciting retail, export and non-retail customers locally and abroad. Plants will be sold to growers based on this estimated demand. This will ensure that the volume of fruit grown at least matches the demand. This market share will be allocated to growers via a quota system. This quota will become the property of the grower and may even be tradeable between members of the Trust and the maintenance of quota will be based on performance. The trust will directly market all export and programmed retail and non-retail fruit.  However, regional representation of the Trust by growers will also be an important part of the Trust’s marketing strategy.  Growers will be levied for the services provided and surplus profits will be redistributed back to growers based on their patronage. The Trust will also facilitate bulk purchasing of inputs on behalf of the growers. Branding: A key aspect of the Trust will be the branding of its products. Educating customers, EurepGap and the farmers about the varieties will undoubtedly lead to increased awareness and therefore sales. Strict quality specifications will ensure that all branded product will be well accepted in the market place. Growers will be located in different geographical regions around the country. A grower is responsible for aligning himself with an approved packhouse, which, in time, must comply with certain minimum standards and serve as a distribution centre. In order to exploit the export market and be able to offer the domestic market peace of mind in terms of health and safety standards, growers will have to adhere to strict codes of practice such as EurepGAP in order to participate within these markets. The Well-Pict European Marketing Trust is the first initiative to consolidate the soft fruit industry in South Africa. It has been specifically constituted to be a non-profit growers’ organisation for farmers who wish to exploit the many new varieties of berries currently available in accordance with the Plant Breeders Act of South Africa. A three-way relationship between the markets, the growers and the intellectual property right holders now exists within one organisation. Source: Well Pict European http://www.wellpict-european.com

12. Organising your life on the move: Information Systems Director Aurel Voiculescu provides advice on staying in touch on the move.  “Your phone doesn't just handle calls; it can also help you organise your life. You can use its calendar functions or task management and retrieve or listen to your emails while you're on the move” says Aurel Voiculescu, information systems director of Well-Pict European Ltd). Over the last couple of months we have researched the market in order to identify the best mobile communications solutions that will suit our company’s needs. Most phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs) come with a calendar,an address book and camera. We were looking for a simple phone that can also be used to access emails. Wireless, real-time email enables us to be more reactive to our customers, suppliers and colleagues and increases efficiency. Our preferred handsets are Treo 650, Nokia SPVC500 and Nokia 6600 because they combine many tasks into one device: phone, email, camera and personal organiser. Email is a lightning fast way of communication and being able to stay in touch with our overseas companies is critical to our company. In a matter of seconds an important piece of information sent from South Africa is accessible to our mobile devices, while a copy of the email will be kept for our return to the office. Whether you are setting up your PDA, laptop or phone for email, you'll need your email username and password and you can get these from your email provider.  If you are setting up your mobile phone for emails you will need an email enabled phone and we recommend GPRS (General Packet Radio Service that is part of the GSM standard and delivers "always-on" wireless packet data services to GSM customers,providing packet data speeds of up to 115 kb/s) to access your email.  If you would like any further information or guidance about email on the move or any other mobile communication, please contact the Information team on +44(0)1386 832 926 or email us at info@wellpict-european.com Source: Well Pict European http://www.wellpict-european.com

11. Transport company hauls itself into 2005: KJZ Logistics was renamed Fresh Logistics in October 2004 as part of a strategy to update its image and form a closer link with Well-Pict European’s increasing transport needs.  Duncan Mills became managing director, ex-WPE employee Richard Prior took control of administration, two new Scania Topline lorries were purchased and additional drivers are being recruited  – all signs the company is resolute about its new goals. Mills’ objective is to expand the customer base while maintaining the high level of service that KJZ was renowned for.  He wants Fresh Logistics to nurture relationships with its existing customers and establish itself as primary consolidation haulier in the Evesham Vale.  “The future does not just hold traditional transport solutions but an amalgamation of all related services: a comprehensive operation providing bespoke provisions for packers, growers, shippers and supermarkets,” says Mills.  “The new, improved company can pledge picking, delivery, packing and distribution all for one price”. Fresh Logistics will be working in partnership with the WPE packhouse to secure more business for the group and, following the 25% increase in its customer base since 2003; great things are set to follow. For all your transport and packaging requirements, contact the Fresh Logistics team on 01386 833043. Source: Well Pict European Ltd, http://www.wellpict-european.com

10. Locals overtake organics: John Giles (Promar International) comments on the local supply trend. Attempts at regional branding and differentiation in the UK go back 40 odd years, and in some cases even more.  Welsh lamb was first promoted as a speciality food product in the late 1950s, and over the intervening period the Scottish and Irish food sectors have played on the localised nature of their food production and processing sectors.  Other products such as top fruit as well as soft fruit have always had strong connotations with certain parts of the UK.  And this sort of development is not the preserve of the UK agri food sector: other countries such as France, New Zealand and Denmark have always strongly promoted their agri food sectors around the identity of the source of supply. The definition of local foods varies from organisation to organisation, but in most cases it is seen as a product that has been produced by smaller scale producers and is being marketed on a more local basis, or is playing to a particular regional image.  Cumberland sausages, Lincolnshire vegetables, Welsh dairy products and Scottish beef as well as Kent’ish produced soft fruit are all good examples. At the moment, the size of the local food market in the UK is estimated to be about £4 billion per annum, which makes it about 4% of the overall UK food market.  It is growing at a rate of between 5 and 10% per annum.  While this presents the basis of a future opportunity, it has to be put in context against other areas of the food market such as the foodservice sector and conventional food products, which are worth about £30 and £80 billion respectively.  However, the regional food market is already considerably larger than the organic sector, which has just topped the £1 billion mark, and some industry observers are already predicting is beginning to show signs of slowing growth rates. It is clear that the leading supermarkets have identified the area of localised foods as being a future growth area, in the same way they have done with the organic food sector.  Some producers have expressed caution regarding the desire of major retailers to increase the procurement of local food products, but when you have the world’s biggest food retailer openly stating that it wants to increase procurement of UK food products in key areas such as fruit, vegetables, dairy and meat by over £100 million per annum, then this has to present the basis of a sizeable market opportunity.  Fresh fruit suppliers need to decide what they are going to do about this challenge, and act accordingly.  Why are retailers so interested in what might appear to be such a small market?  There are a number of reasons which taken on their own might fuel the cautious attitude some producers have shown, but when taken together create a strong argument: The major retailers are aware that many areas of their food business are flat in terms of future growth: when they see an area of growth, they go for it, and see it as an opportunity to add both volume and value growth to their overall business. They see a growing interest amongst some (but certainly not all) consumers in where fruit and other foods have been produced, how it has been produced, how it arrived in store and who produced it. Retailers love to see themselves as being responsive to consumer demand, and this desire is accentuated by the breakdown of the mass middle market on which they have built the bedrock of their business over  the last 20 years. Supermarkets love to differentiate themselves from their competition: this is very difficult to do in many of their standard food lines, but the regional food sector presents a real opportunity to do this. Economics: in some cases it makes sense to procure produce from local supply sources rather than bring it in from other parts of the UK, the rest of Europe or even the other side of the world.  Supermarkets are very aware of the economics of food supply, and are always looking to simplify supply chains if at all possible Governement support: landmark reports such as the Curry Commission offer strong support to the development of more localised food supply chains, and there are many (perhaps too many) public sectors organisations all looking to encourage the development of local food supply projects. In the area of public sector procurement strong emphasis os being given to the procurement of local food supply, although this is often easier said than done. Politics: Supermarkets are very aware of the politics of the day. They know that is makes sense to be seen to actively support local UK fruit farmers. And not least, it is now written into their corporate plans: when it is set out in tablets of stone, then something has to happen, and resources will be allocated accordingly to make it happen. Most of the major retailers now have dedicated teams in place to procure local produced fruit and veg and work more closely with regionally based suppliers. However, to take advantage of the local fruit supply market, producers will have to meet exacting standards. Retailers will not accept produce that is not of the highest quality. They will want to work with suppliers who can play within the normal standards of commercial and technical discipline that they operate in. They will want to work with suppliers who can demonstrate adherence to management control systems such as HACCP and ISA, and have signed up to environmental schemes, such as LEAF. They will want to develop relationships with suppliers who share their vision of food retailing in the future, and can contribute to this in a constructive and profitable fashion. The organic fruit market received a significant shot in the arm when the major retailers decided to come on board. Local fruit demand could well receive the same boost and see the market driven forward, the at the same time SME local producers should recognise that retailers have demanded the same sort of technical and commercial service from organic suppliers, and they expect the same from localised foods suppliers too. Do you get a premium for being “local”?  The answer to this is “not always”.  What you do get a premium for is being totally professional in all that you do, whichever route to market you are following. In summary:  The “local” fruit market in the UK is set to grow, but anyone operating in this market needs to be aware of the overall size of the market and how and why it is set to grow.  Fruit suppliers have to understand the market if they are really to take advantage of what is happening in the UK.  To be successful, the standard rules apply: be good, be professional in all that you do, and understand customer needs.  Business size and scale then need to be adjusted accordingly.  Working with others in the supply chain will be a prerequisite, and this is an area where many in the UK food supply chain have struggled in the past.  Overcoming this barrier will be critical if success. Source: Well Pict European Ltd, http://www.wellpict-european.com

9. Asda scoops BBC award: Congratulations to ASDA for winning the BBC Food and Farming award for best retailer. The BBC Food programme has a strong leaning towards specialist foods and in particular those produced by smaller scale and locally supplied businesses. For four years we have been developing our ‘local’ strawberry sales with ASDA. This system enables the grower to grow and pick fruit for distribution into their nearest ASDA stores. The products’ freshness and eye-catching labels featuring regional landmarks have proved an instant winner with the consumer. There appear to be higher impulse sales for locally-grown products and higher sustained levels of repeat purchases. There is an increased level of work that both the growers and we need to undertake to get a product on the shelf. Central distribution systems are efficient for most products most of the time. Because products are dependent on their freshness, missing out the depot system can be made to work. From a growing point of view, the Locals allow us to use varieties and systems more constructively. Varieties such as Florence have a very good flavour and have established repeat sales, although their susceptibility to bruising makes them difficult to supply through the conventional depot system. It is easier to plan production of Flamenco later in the season in the knowledge that there is a local sale rather than producing the near universal Everest. Feedback from store managers on how a grower’s deliveries are performing provides a good guidance as to what is working well and can be developed. At this year’s awards, the food writer and television personality Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall made reference to the negative press that supermarkets receive.  We can testify that ASDA’s award was earned through their policy of allowing growers to have a degree of security in their production and a positive promotion of British agriculture. Supermarkets set standards for food production and handling through their own objectives and using third party accreditation requirements from growers. The Locals system has allowed some quite small growers to start and remain in business while food safety issues can be dealt with under the umbrella of a larger berry business. In response to the continuing expansion of the Locals scheme, Well-Pict European and AMS are looking for growers in Lancashire, Wales, the Midlands and Yorkshire. Interested growers should contact us through our website www.wellpict-european.com or on 01386 832926 or 832555. Source: Well Pict European Ltd, http://www.wellpict-european.com

8. Pioneering Packaging: Thursday 25th November saw the exciting launch in ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­all 270 ASDA stores of a brand new concept in cherry packaging.  Brand new to the soft fruit industry, the 250g vertical form filled bag intends to give the consumer a new view on how to buy fruit by promoting the product in an innovative, user-friendly pack and improving the overall appearance on the shelf.  ASDA will be able to vary the weights from a 150g snack pack to a 500g family pack during different periods of the year to suit the customer and ensure optimum cost effectiveness.  The objective of improving quality perception has been a key focus for the AMS team for both existing and new product lines.  AMS will now be able to offer ASDA a pack that has been packed the day prior to despatch as well as enhanced overall quality due to the film and the unique cardboard dividers inserted into the crate.  The dividers were designed by ESP Ltd and they will improve appearance on the shelf as well as ensure they arrive in store in perfect condition. The pack consists of a special micro-perforated film, created by Amcor Packaging, which has holes to let carbon dioxide out and oxygen in resulting in longer shelf life in store and less mould development and therefore an enhanced shelf life for ASDA customers.  AMS worked in partnership with Well-Pict European, Sandiacre Packaging and Multipond to install the correct equipment – Sandiacre oversaw the packing side and supplied the Well-Pict European packhouse in Evesham with the Single Tube Intermittent Motion Vertical Bag Maker and Multipond provided the weighing machine, specifically designed for small-sized products.  The weighing machine will save time and money because it is hugely accurate but the packhouse will see a 15%-increase in workload as the majority of cherry packing will now be carried out in Evesham rather than abroad, at source. AMS will be using the same system to trial kiwis, gooseberries and plums and we are investigating starch-based film to be used across all lines to fit in with ASDA’s plan for their entire packaging to be compostable by 2008, so watch this space. Source: Well Pict European Ltd, http://www.wellpict-european.com

7. Positive media boosts sales: 2004 has been another successful year with sales performance by volume increasing by 15% over all categories year on year. Strawberry sales saw a 14% increase in volume and value from 2003, partly due to favourable and plentiful media coverage throughout the year, focusing on strawberries’ health, diet and aphrodisiac qualities.  This helped give sales a huge boost and promoted strawberries to groups of consumers that traditionally may have seen them as a luxury, summer dessert.  2005 will see a bigger pack added to the range to meet consumer demand and boost sales further.  Raspberry sales rose 11% in volume and 16% in value from 2003.  The new, larger punnet we have introduced provides 2 portions of the government’s ‘5 a day’ recommended amount. 2004 blueberry sales soared with a growth of 151% in volume and 187% in value from 2003. Sales were seen to double and sometimes triple week on week largely due to excellent press coverage, particularly about their antioxidant properties, and they were consequently widely branded a 'superfood'.  Demand was seen to outstretch availability at certain times of the year. Blackberry sales were up by 34% in volume and 32% in value. Extending availability with imported fruit before and after the main UK season facilitated a decent performance.  All other lines with in the sector have risen steadily year on year. Stone fruit has experienced a comfortable volume uplift of 13% to date, though this does not take into account the forecasted increase in sales following the introduction at the end of November of the new cherry pack. This increase is largely as a result of the success of nispero, successfully sold in all ASDA stores for the first time in 2004 compared to 30 stores in 2003. Rhubarb sales in volume and value improved by around 70% during 2004.  Better positioning in the store, with the majority displayed in a dedicated refrigerated area, has helped growth substantially. Growth during the summer months was also helped by a strong 'Rollback' pricing strategy. All organic lines profited from a year on year, 5% like for like sales improvement. Each organic product has become available in more stores to meet changing consumer demand.  Certain organic lines suffered from poor seasons, which damaged overall growth potential, but we remain optimistic to see this year out and focus on improvement throughout 2005. We have chosen to investigate and implement new pack formats such as biodegradable and compostable packaging to support these lines. With our minds focused on the 15% year on year growth in sales volume in 2004, we are very positive about 2005.  Next year’s 52-week sales plan has been submitted and several exciting and innovative opportunities lie ahead.  New lines, pack sizes and weights will all be introduced and we look forward to continuing to achieve a comfortable year on year growth rate; something we have become accustomed to in recent years.  Here’s to a successful and prosperous 2005! Source: Well Pict European Ltd, http://www.wellpict-european.com

6. Buoyant British Summer Fruits reveals triumphs of 2004: 2004 was “a year of revolution, not evolution”, according to Laurence Olins, chairman of British Summer Fruits, who addressed the ADAS/East Malling Research Soft Fruit Conference in Ashford at the end of November.  In an upbeat presentation, he said the organisation is beginning 2005 with a financial surplus as well as an enhanced, stronger role in the industry thanks to the hard work of the new PR company, Sputnik. When the organisation was still known as National Summer Fruits, budgets were tighter and volumes were smaller. It has now become a well-respected industry body and represents 98% of all fresh, homegrown soft fruit in the UK’s leading supermarkets.  All the major industry players are involved, now including Well-Pict European Ltd and AMS Ltd, which both joined at the beginning of 2004. In transforming itself, British Summer Fruits has matched the growth and increasing sophistication of the industry – highlighted by its contemporary new logo and website, designed and maintained by London-based Sputnik.  www.britishsummerfruits.co.uk now delivers facts and news instead of recipes and is aimed at the media rather than the consumer. The objective of the 2004 campaign was to raise awareness of the health benefits and availability of UK berries and to make them a regular, everyday purchase, shifting the marketing emphasis away from luxury, summer desserts.  Sputnik’s overall brief was to increase sales and customer awareness, especially to younger consumers, families and children.  Sputnik and BSF commissioned research into the health properties of soft fruit, which provided evidence that strawberries are the only homegrown fruit containing Vitamin C and that raspberries can alleviate the symptoms of hay fever.  Also, that both fruits have high folate and antioxidant (ORAC), content and glycaemic load.  More importantly, the research also established that strawberry seeds contain very high levels of zinc, excellent for a good sex life – what better PR could we ask for? Well-known nutritionist and founder of the Institute for Optimum Nutrition, Patrick Holford (pictured), was recruited to analyse the research and was interviewed on over 40 radio stations exalting the virtues of British soft fruit. There was extensive coverage, focusing on strawberries and raspberries in particular, in all the major national newspapers and well over 150 pieces of coverage in regional newspapers and national magazines. The diverse list of titles includes The Times, the Daily Mirror, the News of the World, GQ, Cosmopolitan, OK! and Sky News. Stories were also published as far away as India, Russia and Australia.  The success was huge, achieved by extremely positive coverage that lasted way beyond what most people consider to be the strawberry season.  After an initial wave of news reporting, newspapers returned to the story upon discovering the effects their reports had on berry sales.  Stories were still appearing in the national press at the beginning of December. In all, Sputnik calculated a ratio of media coverage to PR spend of 55:1, an overwhelming proportion that brands and organisations can usually only dream of. The campaign was helped along by several high profile names, including Victoria Beckham declaring she was on a strawberry-only diet during Euro 2004 in Portugal.  This was followed by intense media coverage of the cellulite-beating properties of soft fruit and the release of the blockbuster film ‘Wimbledon’ at the end of the summer meant prolonged coverage.  When BSF coordinated a berry hunt at the 2-day ‘Fruitstock’ festival in August, organised by pure fruit drink manufacturer Innocent, its healthy eating message was extended to 150,000 people in London’s Regent’s Park, which included a large number of children, the next generation of soft fruit consumers. During 2004, for the first time, supermarket buyers received a BSF buyer report every Wednesday morning showing how many tonnes they are buying compared to other supermarkets.  BSF is the only British horticultural organisation that offers this service and it has been found to increase competition between the multiples. In August Monty Don provided what was perhaps the sole low point for the year. But, the Press Complaints Commission forced Don to retract his potentially harmful comment about pesticides, proving that BSF is now so strong and respected it is prepared to stand its ground and will not back down.  Olins sees Don’s latest attack on the industry on BBC2’s inconclusive ‘Money Programme’ regarding polytunnels as distracting rather than damaging. "Our industry is one of the few success stories of British agriculture,” he said. “It was a shame this didn't come across more strongly in the programme." Thankfully, however, neither this nor Monty Don had a negative effect on sales. In fact, market penetration (number of households buying strawberries) increased from 63% in 2002 to 69%, while raspberries saw a 50% year-on-year growth in value.  This was all achieved with an expenditure of £132,000, compared to an income from membership and HDC grant of £152,000.  A part of the remainder of BSF’s income will go towards bringing in expert witnesses and developing an information pack highlighting the importance of tunnels.  The packs will be distributed to all growers to be used in the event of a challenge and also used to lobby MPs, Defra and the parliamentary circle as well as given to councils and planning permission officials when necessary. During 2005, BSF will be using the HDC fund to find nutritional or health-giving properties of raspberries as they did to such rewarding effect in 2004 for strawberries. For its part, Sputnik will focus increasing attention on raspberries, as well as blueberries (see pages 6 and 13 for this year’s phenomenal sales information) and strawberries. Martin Seymour is satisfied with his first year as a board member.  “I joined British Summer Fruits this year because I believe it is now an effective lobbyist and we are in a strong position to compete with our European counterparts.”  Seymour is pleased with Sputnik’s achievements and looks forward to working closely with his fellow ‘Berry Barons’ during 2005. Source: Well Pict European Ltd, http://www.wellpict-european.com

5. Following yonder Starlight: Starlight Growers Ltd, based in Willersey, Worcestershire, is three years old on 11th December.  Sicilian-born owner Tony Lo Bue will be celebrating the anniversary with company secretary and wife of eleven years Jo after another unprecedented increase in year-on-year volume and value. Tony came to the UK on holiday in 1990 and never left.  Bored with his career as a television and electrical engineer and needing to learn English, he took a job at Redland’s Nursery in local Bretforton and realised how passionate he was about working with nature and being outside after years of working in shops and indoors. Tony tried his hand at various roles, worked his way up in the company and created a customer base from contacts in the Fresh Produce Journal and the Grower, bringing a few supermarkets on board and increasing turnover from £250,000 to £2.5 million along the way.  Redland became a limited company and Tony was marketing director until they parted company on August 31st 2001; what he and his family now celebrate annually and refer to as ‘Freedom Day’. When the company closed down and Starlight was formed 4 months later, customers from Redland followed Tony because he had established such credibility and strong relationships with them.  The company was set up from nothing except expertise, confidence and the determination of the Lo Bue family to found and finance a retreat for abused children (there is currently only 1 in the UK which has just 6 beds); the driving force behind everything it does.  Tony says this is his family’s “sense of purpose” and feels they are fortunate to have found something that they are good at and enjoy to realise their end goal.  All staff are aware of the motivation behind Starlight (dubbed ‘a family of friends’) when they join and buy into the philosophy. Tony and Jo’s sons Michael, 6 ¾ (left) and Jonathan, 9 help out with inspection work during school holidays. On the first day of trading, Tony, Jo and his parents (Giovanni, harvest manager and Sara, packhouse assistant) took delivery of twelve boxes of Egyptian salad onions, packed them in the then empty, breezeblock unit and redistributed them.  In the first year, by buying other growers’ surplus while its own crops were maturing, the company planned to turnover £350,000 but actually managed £800,000.  This rose to £1.4 million in the second year and almost £2 million in the third.  Starlight now employs 10 full-time staff and 10 casual, agency workers in the packhouse, including Tony’s parents who have not been drawn back to Italy either. The BFC-accredited salad onions business now comprises 250 acres and customers include Budgens, secondary wholesalers, catering companies and processors and specialises in extended shelf life vacuum packs.  Its second crop was strawberries, which it has been supplying Well-Pict European Ltd since 2003 (coincidentally, the first box was delivered on 31st August, the family’s ‘Freedom Day’) and a 16-acre crop of asparagus will be harvested in the spring.  With such rapid expansion, Starlight had to find new land and buildings and is about to complete erecting tunnels on its new site near Pershore, Worcestershire.  It is named White Bull Site after an Indian spirit guide as spirits and angels heavily influence the company. Next year’s berry offering will be 5 acres of strawberries and 1 acre of raspberries.  By then, the whole business will be BFC accredited and strawberries alone will at least double 2004’s 25-tonne autumn crop.  Tony is happy with the existing customer base but because of such unexpected growth and to reach the ultimate target, he had to expand the company so focused on lines that are in demand.  Starlight currently grows Elsanta and some Flamenco and raspberry varieties it favours are Polka, John Squire, Himbotop and Josephine.  Tony appreciates the “crucial” advice he has received from Well-Pict European’s technical director David Johnston and is very close to WPE’s QC and marketing teams. The Lo Bues believe it is very important to work in combination with nature and, for example, all the salad onion waste is recycled to make methane and peat.  As well as being environmentally friendly, this system enables them to increase profit, which means more money for the Starlight Children’s Foundation, and they hope they will inspire others to follow their star, at Christmas and beyond. Source: Well Pict European Ltd, http://www.wellpict-european.com

4. New developments in the soft fruit industry conference 2004: If we had had a few more sunny weeks during this past summer, this year’s conference would probably have been as buoyant as previous years. The conference normally starts with a review of how well the marketing companies have done in satisfying their customers, focusing on growth and market share. This year, the format was a little different with Laurence Olins extending his role as chairman of British Summer Fruits to the conference platform. A good move on his part, allowing several marketing companies to conduct a review and preview of the major soft fruit crops. Under this format, Lochy Porter illustrated how production growth in raspberries had exceeded the sales achieved. While I am sure that BSF will look to see how to promote and market the 2005 crop more constructively, this probably still leaves a surplus of production during the peak weeks.  The whole industry has to carefully consider responding to calls for growth without reference to the volume of crop produced. Technology will provide more solutions to maintaining a successful industry than all the BOGOF promotions we could ever squeeze into a year. So how apt that the opening talk was given by Colin Gutteridge, the chief executive of East Malling Research. We have been the envy of the world for our agricultural research; as Defra withdraws its funding we should look to see how we develop our technical capabilities. EMR wants to build its future on being an exemplary contractor delivering excellent science. In the past, the number of peer-approved scientific papers published may well have measured this. For the future, will it be helping determine what we can achieve from fruit crops, how we develop these opportunities and a method of funding? The cost of EMR is small when set against the value of our industry’s opportunities and the further down the supply chain we collect the funding the more focused it can be on delivering excellent science. Over the past few years the conference organisers have tried to ensure the program contains good, grower-friendly papers; I believe this year they were successful. In particular Andrew Cranston’s ‘Biennial cropping of raspberries’ round robin session was well researched and delivered. As an advocate of high beds, I thoroughly appreciated Russell Duggan’s description of his experiences in creating these in the UK; getting a good match of machinery was always going to be the solution. Every time I see a new delivery of tunnel plastic or an artic load of packaging I think, ‘land-fill’. Plastics have changed our industry as much as varieties and fertigation and Brian Sanders’ paper on plastic recycling certainly adds hope that we can improve our environmental credentials. With the recent publication by Reading University and EMR of their work on gene mapping it is comforting to know there is research funding at that level. While at the same time the EMR report on ‘Enhancing fruit quality using reflective mulches’ is a good example of both applied agronomy development and product development. As we have seen this year, nothing promotes our product quite like a good health or lifestyle label. All in all a good conference and our thanks to ADAS and EMR for organising the event. source: Well Pict European Ltd, http://www.wellpict-european.com

3. Change for the better - Martin Seymour. 2004 saw WellPict European close down two of our offices, Scotland and Kent. This was not a decision I took lightly or easily for that matter.  We feared the closure of these businesses would harm our ability to provide the level of service our growers in these areas expect and deserve but we are now confident this will not be case; taking out costs in these regions has allowed us to work even more closely with the growers. It is all too easy to make changes to a successful business in the belief and with the vision you are taking it forward when, in fact, you can go backwards.  However, we believe the changes we have made are to the benefit of all parties, as the removal of costs in these regions will lead to better returns to our growers and more attractive prices to our customers. The changes in Scotland have brought about an opportunity for all Scottish growers to become involved with the local delivery format pioneered by AMS and ASDA. We will be proactively meeting with growers and we are very optimistic that the passion the people of Scotland feel about Scottish stores selling only Scottish fruit will help us to expand the ‘Locals’ scheme even further. It was just this passion from growers Cairntradlin Fruit and Kenny Wallace that ensured local fruit was delivered to stores right to the end of this season; for this we are very grateful and would like to extend our thanks. The closure of the office in Kent has given us the opportunity to work closer with Andrew Boxall, who will work as regional distributor and packer for the south east area. Andrew has been a long-standing supporter of the local delivery scheme. It is his team and our other Kent growers that enabled us to ensure all Kent stores had local fruit this year.  In addition, the Kent County Council and in particular Rob Weaver have shown immense dedication in making consumers aware and getting them on board with the scheme. The success of this cooperation is something that we will be working towards with other county councils across the UK. The above aside, the industry as a whole found 2004 a tough year.  Perhaps after the seemingly endless summer of 2003 we should have expected anything and everything could go wrong would. However, I am very pleased to be able to say that Well-Pict European growers supplying AMS worked exceptionally hard and enjoyed increased growth and reasonable profits. Although I cannot predict the weather or the topics the media will latch onto for 2005, next year is looking promising for our growers and us. We have new lines coming in and during 2005 AMS / ASDA will be making a concerted effort to match, if not exceed, ASDA’s market share in other products. With that, we leave the UK behind. Over the last few years I have taken Well-Pict European all over the globe.  2005 sees the network we have established in Portugal, the UK, Spain, Holland, USA, France and South Africa in a position to offer mainland Europe the quality and service our UK customers currently enjoy, all under the Well-Pict European brand. Inspired by Well*Pict. Inc in the United States, the WPE brand will give the customer the highest possible product integrity, priding itself on varieties, pick quality, food safety systems and second to none service levels. With over 390 million people living in the newly enlarged ‘mainland’ Europe, 2005 certainly looks to be a very, very exciting year. Source: Well Pict European Ltd, http://www.wellpict-european.com

2. Well Pict, Inc. & Plant Science, Inc. praised for variety work in Spain: On 18th November, Huelva played host to the annual Spanish strawberry conference. A delegation from Well-Pict European representing four countries attended the event; Martin Seymour (U.K), Garry Mercer (Portugal), Sofia Rosendo (Portugal), Edward Grieve (Spain), Julian Zettler (South Africa) and Maria Delgado (Spain). During the event leading plant breeders held an open debate in which new varieties and the merits of existing varieties were discussed. This was the first time that such an esteemed group of leading breeders and growers had assembled to have such talks. Those present included Steven Nelson (Plant Science, Inc), Kirk Larson (University of California), Miguel Hidalgo (Planasa) and Roy Ekland (Ekland Marketing Company of California). They debated the need for modern production in Spain and agreed the solution was a combination of varieties, concentrating on each one’s own merits with the ability to extend the season rather than extending one particular variety’s season and sacrificing its flavour and quality. Planasa (breeders of Sabrosa) praised Tim Miyasaka (Well-Pict, Inc) and Plant Science, Inc’s hard work in researching varieties that could be adapted for Huelva. After their recent success with the variety Honor (BG 633), they now have another variety on trial; BG 959 is currently undergoing trials with El Pinar.  This variety produces earlier, is medium sized, conical and has a very good shelf life. With these qualities and its good taste it looks to be an ideal contender for the UK market. Plant Science and Viveros El Pinar will be giving us more information on this exciting variety in the next edition of Growing News. Source: Well Pict European Ltd, http://www.wellpict-european.com

1. Breaking new ground in South Africa: Well-Pict European ZA had its EurepGAP audit at the beginning of July and are pleased to announce that they are the only farm and packhouse growing strawberries in South Africa to be fully EurepGAP accredited. They will soon undertake their BRC audit and HACCP. The farm is looking good for the forthcoming season; they are already picking on the early-planted Commitment (since about the 26th June) and started with the normal Commitment on the 5th July. The early plants are big and leafy; whereas the standard plantings are looking compact and well balanced. Early indication suggests that there is little bonus in the early planting as there is only about a 1 or 2 week difference in the plants. The Endurance is starting to look good, with small amounts of flower starting to show. The team at the farm have planted 28ha of fallow land with a cover crop, which will not only act as a cost effective source of straw, but it will also help improve their soils for future plantings. The three new Plant Sciences, Inc. and Berry Genetics, Inc. varieties Honor, Patience and Promise are now on their way from the U.S.A. to South Africa. Stargrow Pty and Well-Pict European ZA will be responsible for getting them through the quarantine and registration process as quickly as possible, they are confident this will be achieved smoothly. Well-Pict European ZA also hope that Brian Windsor and a colleague from the main propagators in SA will be given national funding to visit a number of foreign nurseries to improve their skills. The other growers within the Well-Pict European Marketing Trust in South Africa are all in their final stages of EurepGAP accreditations. Representatives from Well Pict European Ltd in the UK will be visiting SA in September to ensure that the operation is completely set up for the export of Strawberries to the UK for the UK Autumn / Winter season. Source: Well Pict European Ltd, http://www.wellpict-european.com/news.htm