A KING IS BORN
Prince George Alexander Louis
On Monday The English Apple Man visited East Malling Research to look at the Red Love apples and Sweet Sensation pears.
The Red Love are planted in three blocks; each block is a separate red fleshed variety ripening sequentially and will be sold under the Brand name of Redlove®
It took Swiss Grower Markus Kobert 20 years to develop the apple from cross-pollinating between a traditional Iranian variety of red fleshed apple and the more well-known varieties - Braeburn and Gala.
The Iranian apple gets its colour from the high concentration of antioxidants which give many health benefits but have the unfortunate effect of making the apple taste very sour. The Redlove apple retains the antioxidants but tastes more pleasant.
EMR in conjunction with A.G.Thames have planted two commercial orchards of Sweet Sensation on the East Malling farm. It is a blush Comice and we all know Comice is not easy to grow in England. By using the technology and tree management developed by growers in Holland, it is hoped (expected) the Sweet Sensation will be a success.
On Wednesday The EAM visited FRUIT FOCUS held annually at EMR and a showplace for companies supplying support systems for the UK fruit industry. In the early days of Fruit Focus the Soft Fruit industry; the myriad of growing mediums, irrigation and associated equipment for Strawberries and Raspberries was at the forefront of exhibits; today the soft fruit industry, while very much the centre stage of FF, has been joined by the increasing presence of the UK Wine Growing industry. A plethora of exhibits supporting Viticulture are increasing annually at Fruit Focus.
One that caught the English Apple Man's eye; another new Winemaker about to launch a new range of English wine.
Hattingley Valley Vinyard is situated at Lower Wield, Alresford, in Hampshire.
High on my agenda for the day; a visit to the 11am FORUM featuring the 'first Groceries Code adjudicator - Christine Tacon.
Sharing the Forum with Christine was Guy Poskitt MD of MH Poskitt Ltd a large root vegetable-growing business in Yorkshire, employing over 250 people and supplying carrots and parsnips to the grocery retailers.
Chairing the Forums on Wednesday; the NFU Chief Horticulture Adviser - Hayley Campbell-Gibbons.
.jpg "FORUM: Guy Poskitt, Christine Tacon and Hayley Campbell-Gibbons")
Christine Tacon is an experienced director in food, farming and the environment, with experience in the public and commercial sector. A chartered engineer with 12 years experience in sales and marketing with Mars, Anchor and Vodaphone, Christine ran the Co-operative Group's farming business, the largest in the UK, for 11 years. Christine was awarded a CBE for services to Agriculture in 2004.
Christine's role as the first Groceries Code adjudicator is to oversee the Groceries Code of Practice and heralds a new era in the 'much trumpeted' 'level playing field' which all growers and suppliers have sought for many a year!
.jpg "Christine Tacon - the first Grocery Code Adjudicator")
Christine set out her objectives with the clarity one would expect of someone so conversant of the farming and supply industry. There will be no false promises; "do not expect a flow of more money down the supply chain" the clear objective is to create a "fair place in the market" for growers and their suppliers.
A common complaint from grower/suppliers is the policy of slow payments by some retailers; Christine said; "payment must be made on time" and agreed time periods must be part of the 'written supplier agreement' the principal of 'not putting unfair risk on the supply chain is central to the Code.
The Grocery Supply Code of Practice was written by The Office of Fair Trading and "my role is to ensure the supply chain is treated fairly" " if I find the need for changes in the code, I will go back to the OFT for revisions" the code covers the 10 largest retailers.
All retailers signed up' to the GSCOP will employ a Compliance Officer. Christine told the audience that 4 of the original CO's had resigned already and this she feels demonstrates the depth and importance of the Compliance Officers role. The CO's hold 'senior positions' within their company structure , a realisation of how important retail compliance with the code is!
Christine said; "do not expect every small complaint to be investigated. It will not happen, but when she receives a number (maybe 10) complaints of a similar nature relating to a retailer, action will take place" and investigation of mispractice may go to arbitration; the cost will be borne by the retailer and if the complaint is upheld, the retailer will pay a percentage of its turnover (could be £30 million) in compensation.
The risk to a retailer of failing to comply with the GSCOP will be very costly, hence the critical role of the Compliance Officers, who as well as being senior members of staff, will also have a legal background.
The success of the GSCOP will not be measured in arbitration cases, but in a recognition and execution of a fairer playing field!
Responding to questions from the floor: Christine said retailers must comply with written agreements between supplier and retailer, equally growers and suppliers cannot renege on the supplier agreement either. It is vital that growers and suppliers sit down with their retailers and ensure the supplier agreements is fair and workable for all parties.
The practice of charging exorbitant fines for failure to supply will be addressed. The current practice varies dramatically among retailers. Some administer high fines; £50 - £60 have been administered in some cases, while some retailers do not fine at all.
Answering a question about the common practice by retailers of using a 'third party' arrangement for the supply of packaging and transport via a dedicated supply source dictated by the retailer, Christine said the retailer may still ask for a preferred supplier, BUT, cannot profit from third party supply
Another contentious issue is the practice of making incorrect or unfair deductions. These can take months to resolve issues where money had been withheld.
Summarising; "This is an opportunity to build more trust in the supply chain" "Suppliers and Retailers are encouraged to work much more closely together" "the success of the GSCOP will be a fairer supply chain acknowledged by growers and suppliers"
The English Apple Man comments: "Christine Tacon impressed me, she is a very capable person to hold the role of first Groceries Code Adjudicator and I have no doubt given support from growers and suppliers will create the 'level playing field' we have all been waiting for since the retailers gained the balance of power 2-3 decades ago"
"I had the good fortune to meet Hayley Campbell-Gibbons last year when she presented the prizes at the Goudhurst and Paddock Wood NFU orchard competition prize-giving. At Fruit Focus, It wasn't just me, others said it too; Hayley is a great asset to our industry, in total command of her subject and delivers her message with consummate ease" the horticulture industry should be thankful Hayley is on our side!
BELOW: Tasting new Strawberry varieties on the Meiosis stand at Fruit Focus and the newly launched Malling Centenary celebrating the Centenary of East Malling Research
While visiting old friends Nick Dunn and his daughter Stephanie at the Frank.P.Matthews stand, I was tempted to try a new mid-season Cherry; another delicious addition to the increasing portfolio of Cherries suitable for English production. This new Cherry has yet to be named.
Strawberry production systems.
'Table Top' systems are an integral part of modern Strawberry production; initially peat bags formed the growing medium, but with environmental and sustainable concerns questioning the use of Peat, alternative mediums were investigated. COIR is now the accepted 'sustainable medium' used by Strawberry Growers.
The EAM enjoyed an interesting discussion with Charlotte (Charlie) Millen on the BOTANICOIR stand.
Charlie explained the process which takes raw coir from their Sri Lankan source and makes it suitable for cutting edge Strawberry production.
"We take the raw coir and wash it clean of any salts, before buffering in calcium and drying in natural sunlight"
"Coconut husks (which are used to make coir) are a waste product from the coconut industry. Coir mills buy this waste product from multiple traders, then shred the husks to sell on for several different uses, including coir doormats, animal bedding and growing media".
Why use coir over peat?
"There are ongoing debates about the environmental impact of using peat as a growing media. The government is proposing a complete peat phase out by 2020, so there is currently a lot of interest in alternative growing methods".
Gardeners!
A novel new product, a small COIR bag designed for use by gardeners growing Strawberries in their greenhouses, is being launched by; SEE IT GRO a division of BOTANICOIR. Charlie Millen - Marketing Executive for SEE IT GRO showed me the new product.
FRUIT FOCUS brought together 1,200 growers and industry professionals with 126 leading suppliers, covering all aspects of pre-harvest technology, agronomy, machinery and equipment, business information and post-harvest technology through to delivery to the retailer.
The demonstrations enabled growers to see equipment operating and organised tours visited;
1) Dr. Chantelle Jay identified new strategies for controls of important pests, like blackcurrant leaf midge and raspberry midges, pests that are currently only controlled by pesticides, that can be incorporated into Integrated Pest and Disease Management (IPDM)
2) Antonio Llorente focused on the tools available for speeding up the breeding process for a selection of new Strawberry cultivars with improved benefits. Conventional breeding requires several years of work to release new varieties; by using molecular markers researchers could identify how a variety is going to perform before planting.
3) Francis Wheatley of Chingford and Graham Caspell (Farm Manager at EMR) hosted the tour of the Conference 'CONCEPT' orchard. The orchard uses technology used by Dutch growers to transform pear production with the 'target objective' of 55 tonnes per hectare in UK Conference Pear orchards.
There is always something that catches the eye; I had seen the latest versions of 'tracked tractors' at Interpoma in Bolzano last November, and the sight of a pint of Shepherd & Neame enticed me onto the ICA/STS stand before I left for home.
I have had the good fortune to have known ICA boss Andrew Wills since he was a teenager and delighted to see he has continued the expansion of the business started by his grandfather Harry Lawrence. ICA It was 52 years ago that Harry Lawrence built my father's first cold store.
.jpg "This 'tracked' tractor is an interesting addition to the 'tractor portfolio'")
It was only a couple of months ago the weather forecasters were saying we would NOT get a summer this year!!!!!!!
Next week The English Apple Man will report on The Marden Fruit Show Society '80th Anniversary' farm walk at Peter & Nicholas Hall's Organic Farm in Marden Kent.
Take care
The English Apple Man
PS
Below two items circulating on farming news channels.
Farming & Technology
Farming technology in the UK is to receive a £160m boost, the government has announced.
It says the cash will help meet the challenges of global demand for food and land, water and energy shortages.
Centres for agricultural innovation will get £90m, while £70m will go to projects which "bridge the gap between the lab and the market".
Areas the government wants to target include genetics, health in crops and livestock, sensors and robotics.
A new leadership council, which includes farmers, scientists, industrialists and government representatives, is also being set up.
The food supply chain, from farming through to catering and retailing, contributes £96bn to the economy and employs 3.8 million people, according to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
It says that currently not enough of Britain's research is being commercialised, so farmers and food manufacturers are unable to take advantage of gains that new technology might offer.
Of the £160m, £70m will be invested in a "catalyst", to fund projects all the way from the lab to the market. Ten million pounds of that will be be used to fund the transfer of technology to developing countries.
Universities and Science Minister David Willetts said: "We have a world class science and research community and our institutes and universities are at the forefront of agricultural research.
"To get ahead in the global race, this strategy sets out how we can ensure that we turn our world-beating agricultural science and research into world-beating products and services."
Areas where the government says it wants to increase investment include genetics, health in crops and livestock, sensors, robotics , precision agriculture, crop and livestock genomics and plant breeding.
Defra minister for science Lord De Mauley said: "We face a global challenge to feed the rapidly increasing population in a way which is affordable and sustainable.
"We are investing in technologies that will enable British farmers to meet these challenges and take advantage of the growing demand in export markets for British food."
Source: BBC
Tesco boss warns low food prices are no longer sustainable.
Tesco boss has warned that low prices on food, including fresh produce, are no longer sustainable for UK retailers
UK supermarkets will have to increase prices in the years ahead, according to Tesco chief executive Philip Clarke.
His views come alongside a new poll, by YouGov and the Prince's Countryside Fund, claiming British shoppers are now willing to pay more for food products that they feel are directly beneficial to farmers. More than 80 per cent of respondents said it was important to buy British fresh produce.
"'There was a time when we could go to South Africa to buy fruit and be the only retailer there, but not any more," said Clarke.
Clarke believes that the UK is not producing enough food to satisfy growing demand. He warned: "Because of growing global demand, everything is going to change. There's going to be more demand and more pressure.
"Unless more food is produced, prices must go up. It's the basic law of supply and demand."
Tesco is currently upgrading its promotional activities within fresh produce with the Love Every Mouthful campaign. The new initiative will advertise fresh produce more effectively within stores, with customers offered samples on all products. However, some analysts believe that Clarke's comments signal an end for widespread bargain buys and that the new campaign, which focuses on advertising the sourcing and quality of products, is designed to persuade consumers to pay more.
Clarke isn't the first boss of a UK supermarket to suggest food prices could rise; Waitrose MD Mark Price suggested in an interview earlier this year that inflation would be prominent on food prices over the coming years . He said: "It is likely that food inflation will continue to rise for the foreseeable future. In some commodities, the increases will be massive. It's bread, vegetables, all produce.
"The apple crop was down 20 to 30 per cent so apple prices have to go up. You have only seen the tip of the iceberg. It is impossible to say how long it will last."
According to Kantar Worldpanel, food price inflation was 2.7 per cent last month, up from 2.4 per cent in May.
Meanwhile, Donald Curry, a trustee of the Prince's Countryside Fund, echoed Clarke's comments, but insists that supermarkets must guarantee that higher prices will benefit farmers if retailers are to justify an increase successfully. He said: '"The public are prepared support British farmers, even if that means paying more for food - provided extra money goes directly to the producer."
Source: Freshinfo