The extent to which supermarkets are trying to take more control over their fresh produce supply chains was underlined this week with Morrisons’ acquisition of Simply Fresh Foods.

The purchase strengthens Morrisons’ distribution capability with a profitable company that overcame a devastating fire in late 2006 to bounce back with new facilities and a strong bottom line last year.

Morrisons is one of the most interesting retailers to watch at the moment and its ambition under new boss Dalton Philips is clearly reflected not just in this acquisition, but in its drive for high-quality, affordable, and often own-label fresh food.

The days when supermarkets were simply the last stage in the chain and left the supply side to the industry are long gone, of course. Last year Asda bought up International Produce, Tesco is known to be switching to more direct supply arrangements, and other supermarkets are putting similar plans in place.

There’s no question the nature of supermarket supply is changing, and marketers and middle-men are having to work harder than ever to justify their place in the chain.

Currently, their crucial selling point is their in-depth knowledge of the supply chain, expertise built up over decades of working with both growers and retailers and a thorough understanding of seasonality, logistics and forecasting.

But with the drive to be cheapest showing no signs of relenting despite the end of the recession, retailers are only likely to become even more hands on in future.