Two recent items in the FPJ have been tugging at my memory. The first was the news that Sunkist, the internationally reknowned US citrus organisation, is planning a comeback onto the UK market. The second was last week’s survey, which reflected that over three quarters of the respondents believe, despite the competition, there is still room for new or relapsed brands to make an impression on the fresh produce market.

Back in the 1970s, just as the supermarkets were emerging as major players in fresh produce - and back then there were plenty of them - Sunkist was already supplying lemons. So it was only a short step to introduce oranges and grapefruit.

The result was a trade visit, for which I believe Max Levin & Partners, the UK distribution agent, still holds the record of getting virtually every buyer on a plane, to see the groves and in US parlance “talk turkey” during a trip which lasted over a week.

Sunkist’s original plan was to ship around one million cartons of fruit across the Atlantic mainly aimed at the wholesale markets, so it came as something of a surprise to them when the delegation revealed they had the collective capacity for an additional 1.8 million.

I know, because I was there, although only a faded account sale receipt somewhere would tell you what happened next.

But 40 or so years on, how things have changed.

Programmes are set up months ahead, linked to specifications, traceability and good agricultural practice in a portfolio which can compete in size with a family Bible.

Buyers, shepherded by their category managers, whizz quietly across the world to see suppliers in a matter of hours, with the oft-told tale that many are loath to take a walk around the crop.

In the past, when marketing boards dominated distribution in the UK, Sunkist - despite the fact that it had a summer season - was more interested in how the Jaffa brand was functioning, and apparently less concerned with Outspan, which represented its virtual sole competitor.

Today these have been replaced by several private organisations from both Israel and South Africa, all hungry for business with fewer potential customers. And they have been joined by many other operators filling the seasonal gaps, in particular producers from South America.

Fruit branding as a result is less evident on the shelves - a far cry from posters and point of sale which used to flood markets and retailers alike.

So is the opinion reflected in the FPJ pointing to continued opportunities accurate?

The answer is probably, yes, provided the quality and particularly the price are right.

And while generalities are sometimes dangerous, success is usually linked to a long-term commitment to any export market, through thick and thin, by the growers concerned. l

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