Farming minister Jim Paice visited Fruit Focus last week to meet with several key figures from the fresh produce industry.
Paice, who toured the event, gave a presentation at the Fruit Forums alongside NFU president Peter Kendall and also visited Berry Gardens' marquee to discuss issues affecting the soft-fruit industry with the company's directors.
Topics high on the agenda in the discussions with all three Berry Gardens directors were the EU Fruit and Vegetable regime and the importance of the Seasonal Agricultural Workers' Scheme (SAWS) for the future of the soft-fruit industry, as well the need for the Agricultural Wages Board (AWB) to be abolished, views Berry Gardens said Paice agreed on.
