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Defra Announces £53m Boost To Drive Farming Innovation
Defra has announced a further £53 million investment in farming innovation, opening the door for more farmers, growers and agri-businesses to trial new technologies, cut costs and build stronger, more resilient businesses. The additional funding will go into the Farming Innovation Programme, delivered in partnership with Innovate UK, and takes total investment in the programme to £123 million for the 2026/27 financial year. According to Defra, the money will support practical
Multimodal 2026 Opens Today – Visit FPC at Stand 8090
Multimodal 2026 opens its doors today at the NEC Birmingham, and the Fresh Produce Consortium (FPC) is inviting visitors to discover how it is championing and supporting the cold chains that keep the UK's fresh produce and floriculture industries moving. From international gateways and ports to distribution hubs, retailers and consumers, FPC works on behalf of the businesses that ensure fresh fruit, vegetables, flowers and plants are transported safely, efficiently and sustai
Weight-Loss Drugs Reshape the Supermarket Basket as Retailers Adapt to Smaller Appetites
Britain’s supermarkets are being forced to rethink food ranges, pack sizes and shopper loyalty as the rapid growth of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs begins to reshape what consumers buy. According to The Observer, retailers are already responding to changing eating habits among users of drugs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro, with demand shifting towards smaller portions, nutrient-dense products and healthier fresh foods. The trend is expected to accelerate after research from PwC sugges
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Brussels ‘Playing Hardball’ Over UK Farmer Transition Period
Brussels is reportedly resisting British requests for a transition period that would give farmers time to adjust to EU rules under a proposed UK-EU agrifood deal, in what The Telegraph describes as an early test for Andy Burnham. According to The Telegraph, sources close to the negotiations said UK Government officials had proposed a transition period to help farmers ease back into the EU’s more restrictive trading conditions, particularly around the use of pesticides and fun
Supermarket Fridges Fail As Record Heat Puts UK Food Retail Under Pressure
Britain’s record-breaking June heatwave has exposed fresh pressure on supermarket infrastructure, with customers facing empty chilled and frozen aisles after refrigeration systems struggled to cope with soaring temperatures. According to The Telegraph, shoppers at Tesco, Marks & Spencer and Waitrose were confronted with eerily bare fridge and freezer sections as extreme heat placed supermarket cooling systems under strain. The disruption has affected some of the most temperat
British Berries Take Centre Court Ahead Of Wimbledon
British-grown berries were being served up to shoppers in the run-up to Wimbledon, as SPAR shone a spotlight on the season’s first home-grown soft fruit. Ahead of the tournament, which began this week, SPAR Sedbergh in Cumbria hosted a sampling event featuring Good Natured Berries’ International Taste Award-winning AVA™ Magnum strawberries and AVA™ Monet raspberries. The event gave shoppers the chance to taste the first British berries of the season, with the timing neatly al
Fresho Inks Second UK Wholesale Tech Deal With Freshmetrics Acquisition
Global order management platform Fresho has strengthened further its position in the UK fresh produce and food wholesale sector with the acquisition of Birmingham-based software provider Freshmetrics for an undisclosed sum. Image: Fresho | Freshmetrics | L-R: Jon Shakespeare, Gordon Wilcox, Jamie Foale The deal marks Fresho’s second acquisition in the space of a month, following the completion of its purchase of Nation Wilcox in early June. Birmingham-based Freshmetrics speci
DP World Delivers ‘Milestone’ Carbon Savings Across UK Supply Chains
DP World has revealed that it has helped customers reduce more than 160,000 tonnes of CO2e emissions across UK supply chains in less than three years, highlighting the growing role of ports and logistics providers in supporting supply chain decarbonisation. Image: DP World The global operator said in a press release that “major milestones” have been achieved through a combination of increased rail freight usage, lower-carbon road trucking, and the expansion of carbon inset cr
Soft Fruit Robotics Project Targets Labour Efficiency Gains For UK Growers
A new industry-led project aims to help UK soft fruit growers tackle labour pressures and improve operational efficiency through the use of collaborative logistics robots, or ‘cobots’. Known as FLEXBOT (Building a Flexible, Extensible Cobot Platform for Farmers), the initiative brings together agricultural robotics specialist Antobot, Dogtooth Technologies, the University of Surrey, and the UK Agri-Tech Centre. The project, which will be trialled with three British fruit fa
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