English Apples & Pears (EA&P) has warned that English Bramley growers may struggle to meet demand this season, and that continuing rainfall may have a detrimental effect on the wider apple and pear crop.
Chief executive of the promotional body Adrian Barlow said: “Wet weather can cause real problems as pickers have to grasp the fruit more firmly when it is wet and that can cause bruising. There is also a serious risk that with a lot of water falling in the orchards they will become difficult to access, and there is also the threat of damage to soil structure.”
Barlow added that the conditions affect the speed of picking and therefore the overall cost of bringing the crop in.
“It is still early days and growers are only just getting into picking the major varieties,” he said. “But they desperately need some dry conditions to help size up the fruit. Some varieties are coming up on the small side, Bramley especially.”
Forecasts prepared by EA&P show that Bramley volume is set to be 10 per cent up on last year, but the smaller size profile is likely to leave the fresh market wanting. “We are desperately concerned that we won’t have enough product to support the Bramley bicentenary next year,” said Barlow.
“We only got through the 2007-08 season with enough supplies for the fresh market because we got growers, marketing desks and multiples working together to de-list some packs, limit shelf space and dampen demand.”
The bicentenary celebrations kick off with Bramley Week in the first week of February next year. Barlow and his colleagues have a host of promotional and PR activity planned that is likely to see demand soar to the extent that he fears even the 10 per cent crop increase on 2007-08 may be insufficient.
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