Much of the gain, therefore, is due to volume growth in the sector.
Imports constitute a significant part of the market for fruit.
Lower cost supplies from continental Europe, South Africa and elsewhere, together with falling transportation costs and the increase in the number of varieties offered from abroad, are putting pressure on domestic growers. Climatic conditions are a major influencing factor in the market, governing availability, prices and demand. In the UK, adverse conditions in the summer of 1995 affected the potato crop, whilst the late spring of 1996 impacted on the production of vegetables and salads. Prices in the fresh produce market have also been affected by discounting at major multiples, as supermarkets use the category to increase the average footfall. In the latter part of 1996, the price of mushrooms fell to 56 pence a pound, undermining efforts on the part of the Mushroom Bureau to increase value sales through a television advertising campaign.