The fact that so much is imported has, in fact, raised a strong debate about self-sufficiency, since only 11% of fruit and about 60% of vegetables are grown in the UK, although Mr Jenney notes that “"There have been some notable improvements, as the UK has been actively looking to grow more fresh products, like apples and strawberries, and a number of other items.”
"The key issue is that, from a consumer point of view, there is consistent demand for an affordable and broad range of fresh produce all year round. Right now, there are about 400 different types of fresh produce available in the UK, which is primarily driven by the dynamic character of our population, by people wanting to eat different things, and this is a great opportunity for you to create businesses,” affirms Mr Jenney.
"While opportunities are certainly there, the big hurdle that still needs to be overcome, based on evaluations recently conducted by the UK industry, is that once the goods arrive to ports, it takes too long for containers to get ‘off that boat, on to the bay and away’ because of inefficient inspections. You want those goods out within 24 hours and we have to work together to achieve that.”
The bottom line, according to Jenney, is that after all the care and effort invested by producers to deliver a great quality product, both the shipping and the inspection processes need to be equally efficient, to ensure we get the goods through their point of arrival as quickly as possible at the lowest cost. "There are real opportunities for us to improve and provide a better service if only we talked to each other.”
This is, in fact, the main reason why the FPC will be a partner in the third edition of the London Produce Show, which is dedicated to those who wish to trade with fresh produce in the UK. This, together with other programmes, is basically “a plea to all elements in the supply chain to work more closely to deliver what’s expected of us with the best possible solutions.”