Growers struggling against world overproduction and strong pound Future Cox apple production in Kent which provides 60% of the national crop is in grave danger, according to David Butterworth, the National Farmers' Union south east fruit advisor. Kent is also the major supplier of English cherries, pears and strawberries. Latest statistics show that orchard acreage has fallen by some 8%. This week he will be briefing NFU vice president Richard Watson-Jones who is meeting growers to discuss the possibility of applying for extra EU funding for a generic fruit promotion. The NFU also wants to ask Copa-Cogeca, the European growers' association, to appeal to the European Commission for the introduction of a grubbing grant. Butterworth points to how the county's apple industry has made losses over recent years and is now being further hit by world overproduction and a strong pound sucking in imports. Last season southern hemisphere apples overlapped. "There were no frost problems, yields were high and growers had high hopes of achieving realistic prices for quality fruit," says Butterworth. "But at the start of the season there were still imports coming in from New Zealand and South Africa. "Kent Cox growers received less than the cost of production ­ 22p/lb ­ and consequently some of the crop was left unpicked." The NFU is however encouraged by the response from UK multiples last season. Waitrose has said it would sell English top fruit in favour of imported fruit of the same variety and delisted Braeburns at the start of the English season. Marks and Spencer confirmed it had never stocked imported Cox at the same time and Sainsbury has applied the NFU's new season for British Food logo on all fresh produce. l Last week NFU president Ben Gill paid an early morning trip to New Covent Garden to see how growers could boost sales through building effective supply relationships with traders. There is particular appeal in developing the restaurant sector which now accounts for a large proportion of the market's annual £300m turnover. {{FRESH PRODUCE }}

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