Fresh Approach

• In the last 12 months Fresh Approach has surpassed all expectations in growth and development. Fresh Approach is now the leading category supplier in Brassica’s, Roots, Alliums & Leafy Salads to several major UK retailers
• With the addition of new key team members further business had followed & relationships in the food service sector have also been developed. This mix of customers allows our growers to take full advantage of their crops, little product is now wasted as the Fresh Approach spectrum of customers allow for full utilisation.
• With further development in the retail sector for early 2010, Fresh Approach is fast becoming one of the strongest and key players in the Fresh Produce Industry.
• As such the grow ing base continues to expand from Lincolnshire to Lancashire & Bedfordshire to Cornwall & the Fresh Approach team are always open to discuss potential growing partnerships

QV Holbeach - Fresh Potatoes

• Sales are very stable week on week, split roughly 60% Retail / 40% Foodservice
• Going forward all Foodservice contracts have now been agreed & signed up for the next 2 years to help maintain this split.
• Christmas volumes were high and were well received in the Business Unit
• New Grader installed to improve grading facilities within Fenlander and increase capacity

QV Holbeach - Fresh Prepared

• The changeover from summer to winter lines has naturally seen the Fresh Prepared unit’s retail sales take a stepped increase over the Christmas period. The team are now working on a renewed push on lines such as Ready to Roast Potatoes, Parsnips & British Winter Roasting Veg.
• The Inspire range of Prepared Potato products continue go from strength to strength
• As would be expected foodservice sales have increased through the Christmas party season.

• QV Foods & Select Lincolnshire will host a "Meet the Chef Event" in London in March 2010 to continue to promote the use of fresh produce with leading Chefs.

The truth is; it was a testing time for all…!

Early crop values were poor due to the back log of material carried over from the 2008 crop allowing customers to take advantage of cheaper old crop supply keeping the pressure on any new crop general demand and values outside of contractual commitments. The main crop was witness to extremely dry conditions which led to exceptionally high Dry Matters, (some recorded as high as 30% in Fianna…!), in the East, with most areas needing to irrigate in front of harvesters to have any hope of lifting a bruise free crop. Additional grading was then needed with many Maris Piper crops to assist with higher than expected scab levels. Then even if lifted clean and with the worst of the scab graded out, many growers were left with a high DM sample being out of spec to many customers including processors. This has lead to issues with many direct customer growers having high levels of rejections with no merchant to assist with alternative outlets.

What’s in store for the remainder of this season is any ones call, but with the general feeling being one of plenty and the potential for many packing samples being down graded to fill processing orders which can operate with a darker fry colours; finding good sales values outside of contracted commitments is likely to remain tough especially in the process sector - With the seasons bruising and scab issues, there could be some potentially very good opportunities for the right packing samples if supermarkets don’t work with the quality restraints of the season. There will also be some plus’s for the right frying sample in the process sector and for those able to force the hand of the unscrupulous ‘fly by night’ merchants who took un-backed positions to gamble on the open market. Though the issue here is that the gamble becomes that of the grower with the concern of payment ever being made if the trade does turn against such merchants.

The backend of the season is the concern, if we see plenty of stock remaining and needing a home, the new market could again be under pressure leading to a similar season as this. The big plus is the Continent has seen similar problems but on a bigger scale and the feeling is it will be unlikely we will see much imported ware material hitting the UK shores. The strength of the Euro and haulage costs suppressing any opportunity further.

Central areas of Scotland were wet throughout much of the summer and as a result, Blackleg and bacterial soft rots are at higher levels than might be expected in stocks of susceptible varieties, Markies, Desirée, Maris Piper etc. Powdery scab is also present. Although drier during the growing season, the Borders and North of Scotland suffered from the very heavy rainfall in late- September and storage quality of some crops has been affected.

Seed production in England and Wales, although generally drier throughout the summer, shows some issues with Common scab and Black dot.

Though seed yields have generally been good, tuber counts and small:large splits are often lower than expected.

Following increased production costs for 2009, controlled-variety prices are generally higher than last year, and these values are likely to be maintained by most controllers. Free-market variety values reflect market conditions.

Demand for seed has picked up significantly in recent weeks with good quality stocks of many varieties now being difficult to find; the weak pound has helped export trade and Desirée for the domestic market is difficult to source with many of the stocks offered being those considered unsuitable for export due to store rots and/or Blackleg.

Maris Piper availability should closely match ware planting demand, but with 20% of the crops being downgraded due to virus and other defects, some of the low values quoted will only be supplied from poorer stocks.

Indications from CSL and other laboratories suggest virus levels in home-saved seed stocks are significantly higher than normal in many stocks, making them unsuitable for use; this is likely to lead to late demand for many stocks.

Varieties virtually sold out include Harmony (although 55x60 mm material is still available), Maritiema (although Dutch origin 30x35 mm is a very cost effective plant), Markies, Melody and Maris Bard.

Varieties with reasonable availability, but where stock selection should be an important consideration, include Estima (now with highergrade SE1 and Pre-basic 4 stocks more widely available), Almera, Marfona, Saxon, Santé, Victoria and Maris Piper.