The paraphrase that must be springing to mind recently for UK soft-fruit growers is the law giveth, the law taketh away.

While neither can yet be classified as revelations to growers, in the soft-fruit fraternity or elsewhere within the UK grower network, the latest developments in the debates on polytunnels and the sourcing of temporary labour reflect all too vividly the complex political. This week's front page story in FPJ could just be the news soft-fruit growers have been waiting for - as at least one county council threatens to soften its stance on polytunnel planning policy. The anti-tunnel lobby has for so long been looking for a precedent to flick the first domino and so trigger a chain of events that would flatten the industry. Now the pro-tunnel lobby should board this Hereford-sent bandwagon with relish, and hopefully ensure that it pushes hard to cement a precious precedent of its own.

Meanwhile, domestic growers across the fresh produce range will hope that the government sees sense and shelves plans to abandon the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme - picked upon as easy prey in the search for a positive spin on its phoney drive to reduce immigration and migrant worker numbers, and to provide “British jobs for British people”.

It’s British fruit the people want - they are largely indifferent to the jobs.