Jobs go over tomato export slump

A number of factors have combined to cause a slump in demand

A Jersey business which has exported glasshouse-grown vegetables to the British mainland for the past 36 years is closing with the loss of six jobs.

William Church, director of The Jersey Produce Marketing Organisation (JPMO), says his firm's closure is the "end of an era" for Jersey's vegetable growers.

Mr Church's firm exported island-grown tomatoes, and to a lesser extent peppers, to various UK supermarkets.

He blames poor summers, introduction of minimum wages and rising fuel costs.

Diversification plans

According to Mr Church, some farmers are planning to diversify and move from growing tomatoes to growing peppers, courgettes and aubergines.

However, others are planning to leave their glasshouses empty for a couple of years to see if the market will pick up at a later date.

JPMO's last couple of tonnes of tomatoes is to be exported to UK supermarkets later this week.

It is desperately sad and an end of an era for one of the island's oldest industries William Church, Jersey Produce Marketing Organisation

"Some people will continue to grow for the local market but rising fuel costs to heat the glasshouses, combined with a rise in labour costs, fertiliser, packaging and distribution costs means that it is no longer a viable entity," Mr Church said.

"Generations of families have been involved in growing glasshouse vegetables for export - with the industry peaking in the late '70s and '80s.

"However, the last good year we had was 2003.

"It is desperately sad and an end of an era for one of the island's oldest industries."

However, local grower Peter Le Cuirot is to continue exporting about 4% of the the industry's tomatoes to Sainsbury supermarket.

Mr Le Cuirot, chairman of the protected crops committee of the Jersey Farmers Union, said: "I've been able to carry on with exports because for the past 34 years I've been recycling some of the island's waste oil which means I can keep my energy costs down."