We regularly hear from suppliers in the pages of the Journal, who want to work more closely with their customers. Indeed they are encouraged to do so by those customers.

This week’s page one story represents an entire country putting its hat into the ring in the name of developing its fresh produce business alongside the UK retailers. Foods from Spain has made the biggest single-organisation commitment to promotion of fresh produce in the UK in history. For the objectives of the campaign to work of course, the customer has to be prepared to show a similar level of commitment.

The potential to expand fresh produce sales from all sources is undoubtedly there, but Spanish growers, in particular, are having a tough time at the hands of the weather this year.

The recurring theme seems to be that while exporters continue to show support for UK customers, that support is being thrown back in their faces by pricing policies that fail to account for supply and demand turbulence.

Continued support for the UK market comes at a significant cost to exporters around the world when the weather catches up with them. Even if the climate does not wreak havoc, currency fluctuation will - illustrated well by the forecast 30 per cent fall in forex earnings for the South African table grape industry this year.

Again there is little if any budging on pricing -the situation was in fact compounded by unnecessary promotion in the run-up to Christmas, when supplies were extremely short.

The street ahead could still be paved with gold for this industry - but only if that street runs two ways.

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