We are in danger of becoming a niche market' warns Fruition chairman English industry must consolidate further' The English top fruit industry must continue to consolidate simply because there are still too many marketing desks, claimed Robert Balicki, chairman of Fruition, the country's largest cooperative which itself is currently undergoing changes following the merger of sales interests with East Kent Packers. Speaking at a growers' meeting in East Anglia, Balicki is concerned that the falling acreage of dessert fruit will reduce the English industry to only playing a peripheral role as an attachment to global imports. Only recently three of the best known growers, Vinsons, MockbeggarFarms and Alan Firmin (Linton) decided to withdraw from production and concentrate on soft fruit. "Even Fruition is not large enough," he said. "Category management is going to push very hard, and probably each multiple will have two suppliers, with one of them as a category leader." But he warned of the need to maintain volumes to ensure growers could maintain shelf space. "Otherwise we will become a niche market," he warned. Currently Balicki is trying to convince arable farmers with the right land to grow Cox and Gala. Meanwhile the increasing pressure on quality means growers will have to produce more Class I fruit and can no longer rely on returns from Class II fruit going to processing to support incomes. A recent Fruition survey showed this figure would have to rise from 60% to 80% to cover costs. In turn, this puts pressure on the amount of storage available used to hold the crop from November until March. There is, however, a bright side. In the long term consumers do want to eat English Cox and Gala. As the main season draws to a close at the end of March, prices have continued to improve and fruit quality is still good. And Jonagold and Red Pippin will remain available. {{FRESH PRODUCE }}

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