Hot weather and a lack of rainfall in England is likely to manipulate the asparagus and top-fruit seasons.
Field asparagus hit shelves last week as hot weather brought the asparagus season forward by three weeks on last year’s early May start.
And the English top-fruit season is motoring towards an early start with apple, pear, plum and cherry orchards in full blossom.
But English Apples & Pears CEO Adrian Barlow sounded a note of caution, expressing concerns that late frost could damage a promising top-fruit season.
“Growers need to be aware of the risk of late frosts at the end of this month and beginning of net. It could not damage the blossom but the skin finish. Growers are also concerned at the lack of rainfall and are irrigating frantically.”
Barlow cautiously predicted Discovery apples could hit the market a week earlier than last year at the start of August and that Cox and Royal Gala may be up to two weeks early in mid-September.
The hot weather has brought forward the asparagus season with “strong demand” from the all of the major multiples.
Barlow, who also represents the Asparagus Growers Assocation, said it was looking to increase household penetration of the premium vegetable from the 16.2 per cent recorded last year.
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