Total Produce wasted little time in making its presence felt in the UK. It promised to pursue acquisitions on its demerger from Fyffes and has immediately delivered with the biggest deal in the trade’s history.

It will be interesting to see what the short and medium-term future holds for the country’s new bearer of the largest-fresh-produce-supplier mantle.

While the wheels of the consolidation bandwagon have slowed, there is still obvious momentum - and the need for the bigger players in this industry to expand merely in order to survive continues to be the driver.

The performance of the major retailers during the Christmas period was encouraging, as fruit and veg was crucial to their record sales figures. Hopefully we’ll see some of the larger suppliers reporting a profitable quarter too - rather than the perennial tales of the thankless struggle to expand the festive bulge in their customers’ pockets.

I’m sure the vast majority of FPJ readers support the ideals behind the raft of green-tinged promises emanating from the corridors of retail power. Unfortunately, you are also wise enough to recognise just who will be charged with financing a large slice of the green revolution.

• A belated happy new year to you all. And many thanks for the restraint showed by most of you in not mentioning the cricket!