The English plum season is now in full swing, with the Victoria harvest now under way, the Summerfruit Company reports.
The fruit volume is being described as good, and Ian Waller, sales director, said there is more than enough fruit to meet promotional programmes.
“The quality is excellent and initial sales to consumers have been very good as well.”
However, there is some concern being caused by the recent wet weather, which Waller said has the potential to cause some problems. Already, some splitting has been reported.
“At the moment we haven’t had any reports of serious damage, but it’s a little too early to tell. We’ve had some very heavy rain over the last few days, and it can take a few days for the effects to become clear.
“But at the moment, they’re continuing to harvest very good volumes and the fruit is looking excellent,” he added.
Following on will be Marjorie Seedling, but Waller said there is no update on the crop yet, with all energies focused on the Victoria harvest.
While English fruit is proving popular, there are still substantial volumes of imported plums coming through from the Badajoz, Seville and Murcia regions of Spain as well as some quantities from Portugal.
The Summerfruit Company said the fruit - Jubileum, Avalon and Reeves - was beneficial in bridging the gap between the end of English Opal and the beginning of Victoria.
