All articles by Richard Ford – Page 64
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News
EC private storage scheme expected to slow butter price fall
The dairy industry has welcomed a move by the European Commission to tackle falling European butter prices, but warned it may be too little too late.The EC will allow producers to put their surplus butter into private storage two months...
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Sales of mince soaring as shopper purses squeezed
Sales of minced meat are in strong growth as consumers trade down from more expensive cuts in the credit crunch.Mince sales have grown 15.8% by value to £526m and 5.7% by volume to 144,000 tonnes in the last year [TNS 52w/e 2 November]....
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Turning ugly: EU slams Sainsbury's campaign
Sainsbury's has been accused of pulling a PR stunt with a new ‘ugly fruit and veg’ campaign launched this week. The retailer said it had launched the campaign to force the EU to relax strict specifications on the size and shape of fruit and veg....
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French production slump boosts UK lamb exports
Exports of British lamb to France are soaring thanks to falling domestic French production and the weak pound. Year-on-year British lamb exports were up 10% by volume in the first seven months of this year, according to AHDB figures, with...
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Price swings here to stay, says survey
Food price inflation will slow to 3% by June next year but volatile price swings are here to stay, predicts a new retail food price forecasting report out today.
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Declining sales lead to wholesale cod price drop
The wholesale price of cod is falling as consumers switch to alternative fish species – and it could prompt retail price cuts, boosting sales and putting renewed pressure on stocks. The average wholesale cod price across Europe has fallen 7.3%...
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UK importers cleared in price-fixing investigation
UK banana importers have been given a clean bill of health by the European Commission following the conclusion of its price-fixing investigation. None of the UK-based businesses raided by authorities during the investigation – including Fyffes, JP...
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Foodvest puts Rilatt in charge of boosting group sustainability
Foodvest, the owner of Young’s Seafood, has strengthened its green credentials with the appointment of Simon Rilatt as its first ever director of sustainability. “This senior appointment underlies the key importance of the sustainability agenda not...
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Dairy industry shocked by OFT Clawson referral
The dairy industry has expressed shock and disappointment over the OFT’s decision to refer the acquisition of Hartington Creamery to the Competition Commission. Long Clawson’s purchase of the creamery from Dairy Crest was completed at the end of...
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Produce intake ‘will fall if pesticide laws change’
Changes to European pesticide legislation threaten to send fruit and veg prices soaring – affecting consumer purchasing behaviour, consumption patterns and even voting preferences, a report has warned. European ministers have been meeting in...
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Discounters steal share with cheaper fresh meat
Cash-strapped shoppers are increasingly turning to the discounters to buy fresh meat, new research has revealed. In the 12-week period to 10 August, purchases of fresh meat from discounters were up 17% by volume year-on-year, according to an AHDB...
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Investor group in 11th-hour Cappoquin deal
Beleaguered Irish poultry processor Cappoquin Chickens has been hauled out of liquidation in an 11th- hour buyout by an Anglo-Irish group of investors. Cappoquin, which looked certain to close last month following the collapse of takeover talks,...
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This little piggy went to market
Meet the farmers who rose to the challenges in their sector by diversifying in a novel way – with a hog roast takeaway outlet in the heart of Edinburgh. Richard Ford reports
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Jaffa gets down with the kids in a brand revamp
Citrus fruit brand Jaffa is to undergo its biggest revamp in 15 years this month, as it is relaunched with a new look. The brand is getting an updated logo and is being relaunched on Tesco shelves over the next few weeks, supported by Jaffa-led...
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European red meat production set to fall, warn analysts
The European red meat sector faces a gloomy future of declining consumption and production, a Rabobank report on the global protein industry has warned. There would be a fall in both the consumption and production of beef in the EU over the next...
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Red Tractor logo comes under threat in review
The Red Tractor and other UK farm assurance labels could be scrapped if the industry backs a single UK scheme in a major consultation now under way. The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board has asked for industry views on the merits of a...
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NewsBroccoli defies inflation as price drops 26%
Poor crops and rocketing supply chain costs have caused produce to increase in price – in some cases by almost 30% year-on-year, reports Richard Ford
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Fairtrade certification for fisheries by 2011?
The Fairtrade Foundation and the Marine Stewardship Council are working together on a project to allow Fairtrade certification of fish by 2011, The Grocer can reveal. The two bodies embarked on a three-phase collaborative project this May when...
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Thrifty shoppers switch to pouting and pollack
Consumers switching to lower-cost fish and endorsement by celebrity chefs have helped double pollack and pouting sales. Morrisons reported this week that sales of pouting were up by more than 100% and pollack by 97%, albeit from a low base, while...
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Iceland’s fishing fleet hit by banking crisis
Iceland’s fishing industry is under severe pressure as a result of the country’s banking crisis, producers are warning. The freezing of bank accounts in the Nordic country – which is one of the major exporters of Atlantic cod to the UK – has made it...