Eric Bal, who manages seed breeder Rijk Zwaan's cucumber breeding facilities throughout Europe predicts that the main competition for UK cucumbers on the domestic market is likely to come from eastern Europe.

Bal was speaking at last week's Cucumber Growers Association technical conference and agm at South Cave. His predictions surprised many in the audience who believed the biggest threat would continue to come from Mediterranean countries as well as the Netherlands and Belgium. But according to Bal, changing production trends in eastern Europe will see an increase in exports from those states to the UK.