The fresh produce industry was given a rallying call at this years Re:fresh Conference to get behind a generic promotion campaign to boost awareness and consumption of its products.
Nigel Jenney, chief executive of the Fresh Produce Consortium, urged delegates at the conference to support his plans to develop a pro-active positive PR programme.
He said: “I would welcome people’s views on whether it is the right time to resurrect something like the Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Information Bureau, but it will need the full support of the industry, not just a few.”
Following the conference, he said the FPC had been doing some work on the subject behind the scenes for a number of months, but decided to use Re:fresh to generate wider support.
“At the moment, all we’re doing is reacting to each crisis, over something like chlorine or pesticides, but we need to be putting out pro-active and positive messages,” said Jenney.
“We appear to have the best opportunity we’ve had in years to improve the position of the produce industry, with the interest in healthy eating, but there’s also an increasing awareness that the industry needs to be more active in promoting that position.”
However, he acknowledges that while the timing may be right in some ways, the financial climate throughout the industry would make finding the funding for such an activity very difficult.
After the recent collapse of the highly successful Banana Group, the question remains whether the industry will be keen to invest its hard-won margins on promotion.
Jenney said: “Without question there will be some companies keen to take part, but the concern is, with price pressure and cost pressure, how can the cost of this promotional strategy be borne equally by all.”
He said the FPC will hold a meeting with some of the major players in the industry in the next couple of weeks to discuss the best way to take the concept forward.
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