Paul Taylor believes that UK retailers can place undue pressure on the soft-fruit industry. “The retailers know what they want and they are passing their demands onto the growers very quickly,” he expands. “I believe that when anyone wants to make changes to a variety, which has been in the marketplace for some time, we need a phase out time for the product.
“Most crops are approved by the agricultural body NIAB, the organisation flags-up a wind-down time when a variety is needed to be replaced and is termed “outclassed”. In the following two-year period the industry then has the opportunity to slow down production. However, quick-fire changes by the retailer - when they say that ‘variety x’ will not be on the shelf and ‘variety y’ will be - have a direct effect upon farmers and plant growers.”
Taylor adds: “At Hargreaves progress is vital, but fast changes have big consequences,” he says. “I am completely into the development of new products, but the industry needs to work together.”
One industry change is the increased demand for better quality plants. “Overall there is greater demand for higher grade plants, while interest in cheaper plants has fallen away. People want racehorses not carthorses,” he says.
The soft-fruit industry is one experiencing growth across the board. “Beside strawberries, we are seeing development in raspberries. There is also growing interest in blueberries as we saw when we co-hosted the first blueberry conference.
“There is a lot of interest in blueberries at the moment. Numerous growers are keen to put blueberries in the ground, however there is a great deal of planning ahead involved and the risks to the propagator are potentially huge,” he says. “In fact, unlike most soft fruits, blueberries are normally ordered firmly one to two years ahead.”
There are also developments taking place in the blackberry market. “There is serious interest in primocane blackberries. This sees an extension in the production year, which will increase supply through to the first frosts,” says Taylor.
As soft fruit is a premium product competition is as fierce as ever. As the UK’s largest producer of soft fruit plants Hargreaves expects there to be continued competition from Central and South America, but Taylor says there are a couple of emerging markets. He says: “We are receiving enquiries for our plants from China and the Russian market could become a bigger player in the future.”
With sales continuing to rise, Hargreaves is looking at working with a growing number of overseas breeders to continue its development. Taylor says: “We are working with an increasing list of countries including Russia, South Africa and countries in South and North America. We are looking beyond UK and EU countries as there are increased technological resources available.”
The company, however, has no intention of becoming complacent. Taylor says: “We have in excess of £100,000 being invested in variety trialing alone. All of our trials are grown under protection and it is an expensive business. We have to get a lot of computer software and buy a range of dedicated equipment. The equipment we use for trials has to stay in these fields, as we don’t know if these plants carry viruses or diseases. Twelve months from now we will be in an even better position to report on a wide range of new products.”
The intensity of competition from abroad is likely to increase, he says: “The marketplace is expanding and it will attract more and more people to have a go at it. The UK market is specialised and demanding and the soft-fruit business led by the supermarkets is looking for the best and will work only with the highest quality growers. Expertise in the UK is second to none when you consider the variety of weather conditions we have throughout the year. We should not be able to grow premium products.
“But while the UK can continue to produce high quality soft fruit the UK market can only get stronger. Indeed, with all soft fruits including blueberries we should maintain the homegrown premium. The marketing companies and supermarkets have done a great job in this regard,” says Taylor.
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