French stonefruit exports to the UK fell in both volume and value terms this year - but sources insist the problem has been felt by all European stonefruit exporters.

Having risen progressively for the last three to four years, French summer fruit exports to the UK, including melons, fell from

23,700 tonnes shipped from April to September 2006, to 15,651t sent in the year-later period.

However, sources believe that the slump in UK sales will have been felt by Italian and Spanish exporters too. A better UK summer in 2008 should hopefully bring volumes up to previous levels.