The third European Fresh Produce Monitor will not be published until January, but delegates at the Eurofruit Congress were given a view of work in progress, by Professor David Hughes of the centre for food chain research, Imperial College.

Around 250 people have responded to the questionnaire sent out by European Fresh Produce Association Freshfel and Market Intelligence.

Perhaps surprisingly, some 58 per cent thought the current status of the industry was very good and 62 per cent believed that future prospects were either good or very good, reflecting a better year for the industry in Europe and, said Hughes, 'either a high pain threshold or a masochistic element in the trade'.

The overall consensus so far appears to be that good opportunities still exist in the trade, but for fewer operators.

Respondents were asked to rate market opportunities and product innovation came top of the pile, followed by integrated crop management and added value. Despite the emphasis being placed on organics, regional branding and local sourcing in the UK, there was resistance to grasp the opportunities on a global level, the survey showed.

Within the supply chain, it emerged that there is widespread agreement and genuine concern about QA schemes, with the overwhelming response being to ask for harmonisation. 'Only 59 per cent actually want a single pan-European QA scheme, and we were expecting a higher figure than that. There has always been the perception that QA schemes cost more and bring no benefits. But they improve business practices and there are benefits, which are not always easy to quantify, said Hughes. Greater logistical efficiency and information sharing were also seen as important, but e-commerce is not seen as a significant opportunity. 'Is this a fact or is it head-in-the-sand stuff,' he added.

At retail level, 90 per cent of those surveyed felt that better handling of the product in-store would improve the results of the industry. An even higher 91 per cent agreed that more in-store promotion, particularly tastings, would also have a positive effect on sales. Only 12 peer cent felt that the fresh produce industry is well-placed to deal with a major food scare, such as BSE. 'We need something in our backpack because there will be a problem at some stage,' Hughes asserted.

He concluded with his perception of the ideal features of a 21st century produce company, saying: 'Companies need a 10-year vision and a strategy to get them there. They need staff who share that vision. They need to become a food company, not a produce trading company and any volume or value growth should underpin investment and staff potential development. Operational excellence should be backed up effective performance measurement systems. All successful companies need outstanding supplier and customer relationship management. Innovation in everything, from products to packaging and systems is another key element. And finally investment must be continuous, in spite of tight margins.

'We continually disappoint consumers with fresh produce,' he added. 'This industry is guilty of routinely putting produce on the shelves because we've produced it, knowing that is will disappoint the consumer. For instance English Cox apples from February on don't have the crispness, but we want to get rid of them - increasing the problem of consistency of quality.'