The UK soft-fruit season is at the changeover point between everbearer and glasshouse production with some suppliers reporting a smoother transition than others.
“Everbearer production has been reducing steadily,” said Nick Marston, md of KG Fruits. “There will still be production for about another week from Kent, the West Midlands and Scotland, but our glasshouse production started in quantity nearly three weeks ago from Essex and the West Midlands.”
Growers are enjoying a better end to the season than the start this year, said Marston. “Labour issues at the start of picking made for a miserable July but later everbearer plantings have increased on 2003 and September has been good this year - we have sold 40 per cent more fruit.”
He also reported that the timing for changeover between everbearer and glasshouse fruit is more or less in line with a typical year.
But the Summerfruit Company warned UK strawberry supplies were tightening as the Journal went to press. “Availability will shorten up considerably in the week ahead due to the premature end of the everbearer crop,” said a spokesman. “While English glasshouse Elsanta is beginning to come forward, we would expect there to be pressure on supply for some time until volumes build.”
The company expects the glasshouse crop to reach its peak in the next week or so and then build steadily until the end of November.
Meanwhile, Marston reports strong demand for raspberries with English primocane volumes reducing due to the recent colder weather.
“Demand is very good and we are making up the shortfall with Californian berries,” said Marston. “There is also UK glasshouse raspberry production for the premium end of the market - our supplies are targeted mainly at the catering sector - that should carry on into late November and is making quite high returns.”
The Summerfruit Company spokesman expects “reasonable availability from English growers, with autumn fruiting varieties still looking remarkably good.”
The company is supporting its UK volumes with availability from the Valle del Jerte in Spain before moving further south into Andalusia for supplies from Huelva.
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