In response to recent media reports regarding the increased cost of fruit and veg and the effect on vulnerable society groups, my view stands that it is actually more to do with education than affordability.

With the enormous variety of produce on offer, it is essential to understand natural price fluctuations and seek out bargains as one does with other items in the weekly shop. At a well-known London university, my teenage daughter and fellow students spend Saturday afternoons at the local street market buying fruit and veg for a snip - a low income need not be the cause of a poor diet. However, if the statistics are to be believed, surely there was never a more crucial time for the government to agree to continued funding of the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme.

I am delighted to announce that we have a new colleague in the FPC team. Lisa Watts, our new administration assistant, is working with us as part of the government’s apprenticeship scheme. There are many similar schemes available and we are currently liaising with Lincoln University regarding industry-based initiatives. It’s great to see a revival of apprenticeships, teaching our youngsters new skills and providing a platform into our sector.

I for one am thrilled to finally be into British summer time - the winter seemed longer, for some reason, which made the sunny March days even more welcome. More importantly, the lighter evenings herald the Re:fresh Conference and Awards. Good luck to all award entrants - we will be announcing the finalists later this month. We have a great event lined up for you: heading up our conference programme is minister for agriculture Jim Paice, who will speak at our afternoon conference with a Q&A session, so don’t miss this great opportunity. Thanks to conference sponsor Prophet and awards evening sponsor Florette,

Re:fresh has developed into one of the major industry awards events. Hugh Dennis is our compere for the evening and we are working with Intercontinental head chef Paul Bates to ensure the finest dining experience.

Out and about in March, we were pleased to meet Dominican Republic minister Eddy Martinez at Canning House to discuss industry high risk issues among other things. The Dominican Republic climate lends itself to solar energy, and the development of wind farms and biofuels in addition to solar panelling is impressive and this fast-developing nation is working hard to increase quality exports to the UK.

IFE also provided a good opportunity to catch up with FPC members Maroc Export and QV Foods and to sample some of Rachel Green’s expert cooking of the freshest Lincolnshire fare. This was a good exhibition, but with surprisingly little support from fresh produce businesses.