Total Worldfresh UK Stone-fruit Grower Day

There could be a no more fitting day for a UK grower conference than St George’s Day on April 23rd. The UK was covered in glorious sunshine that beamed down on the beautiful setting of The Orangery in Maidstone, the venue for Total Worldfresh’s presentation to its group of UK growers/partners who arrived from farms in the South East & South West. The day was packed with market insight, along with guest speakers presenting invaluable industry topics, making the day a huge success.

Mark Player, Managing Director, opened the day with an insight in to the global Total Produce business and investments around the world in companies as well as varietal development, before bringing it into focus for UK growers and the opportunity to “Grow Together” with Total Produce through investments, and joint ventures.

Paul Dean, Marketing Manager, presented the bigger annual picture on stone fruit and cherry in the UK, and what opportunties that presented for growers with some invaluable insight as to how retailers range and why.

Jon Clark, Commercial Director, and Penny Pidd, Stone fruit Manager, reported the expected annual crops on UK cherry, plum & apricot, which Total Worldfresh represent around 45% of the antcipated collective volume. Growers gained an insight into the marketing of those crops through the Customer Category Managers, an exciting Summer lays in wait.

Total Worldfresh have invested time & money in developing the UK stone fruit strategy. Simon Percival, Technical Director, with a vast amount of experience with the global breeding programs spoke of the opportunities with existing & new varieties that Total have been working with, as well as key information on improving the customer quality offer.

A lunchtime break, with a cool drink in the warm sunshine cleared the minds for the afternoon session and a number of guest speakers.

Total’s Ethical & Sustainability Manager, Demi Smoloktou, opened the afternoon on how Total can work with growers and the environment to deliver a model for the future, something very close to the companies heart as well as growers, retailers & consumers.

Javier Rojo, Quantum Waste, demonstrated how food waste could be turned in to organic fertilizer to go back in to the food cycle, a business that is growing in the cities.

This was followed by two guests, Robert Saville & Michelle Fountain, from East Malling Research who delivered captivating talks on post harvest treatment of cherries & plums, along with a detailed insight in to SWD which created great debate and thinking amongst the growers.

The day was completed with a presentation from Ferdinand Sailer of Voen Covering systems, who had flown in from Germany. UK growers are faced with the cost of having to cover their orchards to protect from the ailments, a technology that Voen have improved since their creation just over a decade ago.

Information supplied by:
Jon Clark
Total Cherry
Tel: +44 1775 717180
Email: jon.clark@totalcherry.co.uk