Top-fruit grower Adrian Scripps was founded in the early 1960s.
Initially it was a typical mixed business with livestock, hops, vegetables and top fruit. Today though, the company operates 750 hectares spread across five sites in Kent.
“We were a significant supplier to the wholesale markets through the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, and now 80 per cent of the apples and pears we harvest go to major multiple retailers,” says managing director James Simpson. “To achieve that we have invested in state-of-the-art storage and packing facilities.”
Growing top fruit has become a far more efficient business in recent decades. “Our tree-planting density has gone up from 800 to 1,000 trees per hectare in the 1960s, to anything between 2,800 and 5,000 trees per hectare now,” says Simpson.
“And we have moved from large trees to smaller dwarf rootstock trees on wire and trellis systems. That allows for better tree management.”
All the orchards now have trickle irrigation with fertigation systems, so every tree can be fed directly rather than relying on mother nature. “There is much more science behind the growing process, with regular soil analysis, leaf analysis, and pests and disease computer-generated models.”
Looking forward, Simpson foresees increasing supply of apples from the UK and more club varieties. -
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