It is not often that the fresh produce industry throws up a week of relatively good news, but our front page stories suggest this could be just such a week.

The decision for Hall Hunter Partnership is not only a victory for soft-fruit growers, who now have a precedent to cite in polytunnel planning permission cases, but for the fresh produce industry as a whole. A political decision has eventually worked in favour of the fruit and veg fraternity, and local residents and rural campaigners who have been less than complimentary about these structures in the past may now not only think twice before airing their views, but could even perform an about turn, as in last week’s case.

On a similar political note, Defra’s apology for the failings of the PEACH system should provide some consolation for the 52 per cent of you that said you were “very concerned” about the impact of the situation in our online poll this week. The tireless efforts of the Fresh Produce Consortium to sort out this issue have been commendable, and I am sure the trade is grateful to the team.

The Gangmasters Licensing Authority has also been hailed as doing good work this week (p5), and any group that helps us sort the reputable suppliers from the disreputable is welcome.

Still, before we all get too excited about this positive glut of good news, let’s see what the next few days throw up. After all, a week is a long time in fresh produce.