UK strawberry sales took a nose-dive last week, with volumes well down on last year at the key stage in the season.
Marketing desks pointed to the combined effects of a pre-Wimbledon lull, some poor summer weather and an England World Cup game that together served to dampen demand.
“Last week was very difficult for retailers and strawberry growers alike,” said Nicholas Marston, managing director at marketing desk KG Fruits. “It was a disappointing week for sales and it coincided with a significant spike in production that created serious difficulties with a lot of fruit going onto wholesale markets.”
This was borne out by wholesale prices as low as 45p for a lb of fruit, and poor quality. “English fruit has been disappointing,” said one New Covent Garden wholesaler.
The picture this week is changing, however, said Marston. “Demand is now exceeding supply and across the industry we are seeing a shortening of supply,” he said. “south-east England and the West Country have now finished maincrop Elsanta and there is a bit of a delay in the 60-day crops because of the cooler weather.
“Sales are looking much more encouraging and with the long-term forecast for warmer weather, we expect next week to be back in balance in terms of supply and demand.”
English 60-day plants should be on stream next week and the Scottish maincrop is forecast to peak, Marston forecasts. Production should also benefit from increased exposure in-store and television advertising as well as the good weather.
Meanwhile, dull weather has meant that early raspberry sites have been slow to come, on stream. Demand is building, but the bulk of production is yet to come, with Scotland still two weeks off supplying in any volume.
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