Market upsurge for fresh food (From Western Telegraph)

Market upsurge for fresh food

Fruit, vegetables and dairy foods produced in Pembrokeshire are finding new markets in Britain and abroad.

Controlled atmosphere storage facilities at Pembroke Dock have opened up opportunities in the competitive fresh food sector.

Talks with importers, exporters, trade attachs and supermarkets are stimulating interest from customers lost when the Port of Pembroke went into receivership in the 1990s.

Atlantic Industries took over two large stores at London Road, Pembroke Dock, and is revitalising a fresh food trade curtailed by the receivership. The port was taken over by the Milford Haven Port Authority three years ago.

Atlantic Industries operates two large stores nearby. There is a combined capacity for 14,000 pallets and temperature controlled storage of 0 - 140C.

Gordon Scott-Morris, consultant to Atlantic Industries, says: The Milford Haven Port Authority, the Milford Docks Company and ourselves are actively promoting the port in the fresh fruit and vegetable industry, not only to recapture lost tonnages but to encourage new customers."

The companys core business had been cheese manufactured in the UK and Ireland. Cheese produced at the Dairy Crest factory at Merlins Bridge, Haverfordwest, is stored there before it is transported to North Wales to be packed.

It is now working with local farmers and the Haverfordwest-based Puffin Group in a deal involving 2,000 tonnes of maincrop potatoes.

David Roberts, a director of Atlantic Industries, says the potatoes were previously hauled to Hereford before returning to Haverfordwest to be processed and packed.

One of his Pembrokeshire customers is Lawrenny organic farmer, Bruce Carlisle, who used the facilities to store organic seed potatoes.

The potatoes remained in chill store in prime condition until the end of March when they were ready to be planted," says Mr Roberts. A second Pembrokeshire grower looks likely to follow suit this year.

The company may establish a cold storage facility for 1,000 pallets at temperatures of -25 degrees C.

We are in a strong position because of our close proximity to Ireland via the ferry ports," says David Roberts.