All told, we are in for a rocky ride in the produce industry in 2009. A persual of our news pages this week should make it clear that increasingly unpredictable weather patterns across the world, coupled with fluctuating exchange rates and spiralling input prices - not to mention that small matter of an official recession, in the UK at least - will make the next 12 months pretty tough... but I am sure that this hardly comes as a shock to any of you.

FPJ has pulled another 100-page plus issue out of the bag this year in honour of Fruit Logistica, and I am sure that more of you than ever will be attending the three-day event in Berlin next week. I can’t help but wonder if this trade fair, which has gone from strength to strength since its inception and breaks new records every year in terms of stand numbers and footfall, will be a somewhat more subdued affair in 2009. The organisers are promising a record number of exhibitors, but will there be the usual spirit of bonhomie that the show has become renowned for? Let’s certainly hope so, as trade fairs such as this are the lifeblood of our industry, bringing business partners from across the world together and allowing new relationships to flourish.

We have managed to cover a huge range of topics in this issue and hopefully you will enjoy taking it all in as much as we enjoyed putting it together. We look forward to welcoming you on our stand at the show.