The UK market is a magnet for the international fresh fruit and vegetable trade, and while it represents an exciting opportunity it can sometimes be a daunting prospect for exporters. To tackle the issue, this year’s London Produce Show and Conference will provide delegates with the opportunity to learn how to access and supply the UK market via a tailor-made seminar programme
“The prospect of trading with the UK can be daunting for prospective exporters, with a raft of regulatory controls and customer requirements to be met, ” comments Nigel Jenney, Chief Executive Officer of the Fresh Produce Consortium (FPC). “Yet the UK offers great potential to overseas businesses, particularly as consumers are keen to enjoy a wide range of exotic produce all year round.”
FPC, the UK’s trade association for the fresh fruit, vegetable and cut flower industry and co-presenter of the London Produce Show and Conference, is hosting the seminar. As the voice of the fresh produce industry in the UK, FPC lobbies on behalf of its members and provides up-to-date advice on both UK and EU regulatory requirements.
The UK imports 65% of its fresh produce, which must meet the EU requirements for plant health and food safety. Recently the European Commission (EC) has imposed stricter controls on certain products from specific countries due to high levels of interceptions of pests, diseases, as well as exceedances of pesticide residues under EC Regulation 669/2009.
“It’s essential that exporting countries know the standards they have to meet and if there are additional control measures in place,” says Jenney. “We’ve worked with a number of countries to help increase awareness and to put in place measures to prevent them losing access to our market.
“The European Commission is considering additional control measures for a number of pests, including False Codling Moth, and this could have a significant impact on a wide range of products and supplying countries. It’s vital for exporters to keep up to speed with developments.”
Discover other routes to market
As well as the major retailers, there are potential customers in the UK wholesale and foodservice sectors, which can often be overlooked by exporters due to a limited knowledge of how these sectors operate.
Delegates who attend the new workshop at the London Produce Show will hear from leading businesses and gather first-hand insights into how wholesalers operate and what products foodservice companies are seeking.
Attendees will also have the chance to learn how successful exporting countries have identified opportunities to develop and sell their products on the UK market, and how they have achieved significant growth in exports of fresh produce to the UK.
Much to learn
Titled ‘Exporting to the UK market – what you need to know’, the programme will include contributions from experts from UK regulatory authorities, the fresh produce industry, and successful exporters.
During the session, participants have the opportunity to:
- Share experiences of market opportunities with a top flight panel of business leaders from the retail, foodservice and wholesale sectors.
- Learn from the UK regulatory authorities how to meet food safety and labelling requirements.
- Find out more about how to meet EU plant health requirements. The EU is taking action against countries with persistently high levels of pests and diseases on EU imports and further control measures are planned for specific products.
- Learn more about getting products to the UK market and changes in port logistics from a panel of industry experts.
- Discover from successful exporting nations how they have achieved significant growth
- Gain valuable insight from the UK’s trade association, the Fresh Produce Consortium, on the UK market and further guidance available to exporters.
The ‘Exporting to the UK market – what you need to know’ seminar takes place during the afternoon of Wednesday, June 8. It proceeds the London Produce Show’s Opening Cocktail Reception in the evening, which is recognised as the UK’s produce networking event of the year.
Workshop tickets are available for £99 + VAT per person. Click here to register.
For more information, email [email protected]
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