Ubifrance, the French agency for international development, is organising a trip to Manchester for the start of October for French exporters of vegetables and potatoes interested in the UK market.
The trip comes on the back of rising imports of vegetables into the UK over the last decade. In 1999, Ubifrance stated, local production accounted for 90 per cent of consumption in the UK; by 2008, this figure had dropped to 83 per cent.
Exporters will benefit from visits to production sites and the advice of UK operators, the agency said. They will also be able to present their companies and meet with operators interested in their products.
The trip will include visits to the wholesale market, the head office of retailer Morrisons and various buyers, in addition to a conference on the market for fruit and vegetables in the UK in 2009.
