Procurement Strategy

Cherries and stone fruit are products that are vulnerable to adverse weather conditions. As a business we have developed a procurement strategy to minimise the potential impact of adverse weather throughout the year.

Our focus has been developing strategic relationships with growers and grower groups around the world. The emphasis being on having at least two countries of supply available at any one time, and within each country, to have geographical diversity to minimise any impact the weather may bring on the supply of fruit.

Norton Folgate has made a commitment to helping growers understand the exacting needs of our customers and to this end we send our team of Quality Controlers and Technologists around the world to ensure we are accessing the right product for the right customer. This service forms an important part of our strategic role with growers to ensure they are able to access as wide a market as possible for the their products.

Norton Folgate is working together with its growers to increase the seasonal availability of cherries in an effort to extend the season and bridge the gaps in supply that currently exist in the autumn and spring. We are also working on techniques to reduce the risk that the weather can bring. In the UK, we are co-funding a project with growers to cover their cherry crops with the Voen system of tunnels to ensure we have availability of fruit even during the “British” summer.