Research released this week by Plimsoll suggests that the fresh produce industry is in for a rough ride as 2009 draws to a close, with almost a quarter of the top 1,000 firms finishing the year in a state of financial difficulty (p1). The industry is also, according to Plimsoll, staring down the barrel of a prolonged spate of mergers and acquisitions.

It strikes me that the banks in the UK have offered scant comfort to the fresh produce sector during the recession, displaying little or no confidence in the horticultural industry. Last week’s lead story, “Banking on it”, revealed the immense difficulty that fresh produce firms encounter in trying to drum up financial support for new projects. Add to this the withdrawal of crucial insurance left, right and centre from many firms that are actually trading perfectly well, and it seems that our country’s banks and credit providers are in serious need of some education on the potential of the fresh produce business.

A resounding 76 per cent of respondents to this week’s freshinfo poll - Do UK banks offer enough support to horticultural projects? - answered no, and as one pollster notes: “From one bank to the next, I was told that they were not financing any produce-related ventures as they were considered too risky.”

Mind you, it’s just as well the banks are so cautious, or we might one day all find ourselves in the midst of an economic crisis. Oh, whoops...