There are "far too many cauliflowers suppliers", making it impossible for anyone to make a decent profit on the crop, QV Foods and Fresh Approach director Simon Martin has claimed.

Martin was unequivocal in his criticism of growers for not bringing supply into balance. "The cauliflower situation won't change until the industry changes, collaborates properly and grows the volumes the customer wants," he told the conference. "Too many people are producing caulis and are fighting for market share."

He added that retailers were "not the bad boy" and cited the example of one supermarket that had been offered 12 times the volume of cauliflower that it could sell.

Elsewhere, Martin revealed that QV Foods and Fresh Approach would be doing more work in developing regional brands in the coming year following the success of Cornish Crystal potatoes. The products are expected to be sold in significantly increased volumes in Asda next season.