'KG has had an excellent year,' said chairman Angus Davison, at Fruit Focus, 'we are on the right track to do exactly the same again next year.

Md Nicholas Marston added: 'Although the 2002 season started off some two weeks earlier than 2001, this year's weather has still had an impact on the crop. However, in spite of the wettest July for 40 years, KG still sold 23 per cent more strawberries by value to the end of July compared to last year.

'Strong sales in a number of product areas have translated into an additional £8.3 million turnover, which has meant that overall KG business has grown by just over 32 per cent to July 28. We are enjoying ever greater support from all the major retailers and the share of our strawberry crop sold to supermarkets has grown from 79.9 per cent in 2001 to 81.1 per cent this year.' Raspberry sales, continued Marston, have increased by 53 per cent year-on-year, partly as an enhanced ability to import from the US and Mexico through American partner Driscolls. 'Increasing UK production and a buoyant demand for this fruit has all contributed to this splendid result,' he said Blueberries are becoming more important by the year, sales doubling from a low base in the last 12 months, but without any UK production to support it. Cherries have been badly hit by the weather and a far larger proportion than KG expected has been sold to the wholesale sector.

'This year is KG's 30th anniversary and that KG has achieved so much is testament to the initial operating principles set down by the seven founding growers back in 1972, which laid such a firm foundation on which to grow the business,' said Davison. 'These include every grower remaining responsible for their own fruit and receiving a direct return for the sale.

'All of those founders are still here with us and this illustrates that they have continued to get on over the years - I would like to once again publicly thank Don Goodwin, Hugh Lowe and William Pierce for their enormous contributions to the co-operative.' He continued that the biggest decision taken in those 30 years was to take control of marketing in 1995. That gamble has paid off handsomely, group turnover has increased from £18.5 million to a projected £67m in that period.

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