Sainsbury’s chief executive Justin King gained an insight into the supermarket’s top-fruit orchards during a visit to Kent.
Since Sainsbury’s adopted its concept orchards in the county in 2006 its home-grown supplies have increased significantly and are set to rise again this year.
Sainsbury’s top fruit buyer, Lee Turner, director of brand Judith Batchelar and product technologist, Theresa Huxley, along with King, were hosted by OrchardWorld Ltd’s managing director Mark Culley in the organic concept orchard that is managed by Peter Hall during the visit.
Culley reported that the concept orchards was managed using orthodox orcharding principles and had exceeded all their initial expectations.
He said: “The vision of this tri-partite venture involving all in the supply chain was to use modern systems and practices across a range of modern varieties to produce more fruit per hectare at lower cost and in the most sustainable way.”
Using average yield figures for recent UK orchard plantings at 20-30 tonnes per hectare, the orthodox concept orchard has yielded 41 tonnes/ha by its 3rd year and was set to deliver more 40 tonnes per ha in 2010.
The concept orchards are host to a number of varieties including Gala, Braeburn, and some newer cultivars such as Rubens and Pinova. The traditional English dessert variety, Cox Orange Pippin was removed since it did not perform well under the organic growing regime at Poultry Farm.
UK growers have established 170 hectares using orthodox management systems. Culley is convinced that Hall’s experience will encourage others to adopt organic growing systems.
He added: “Even if this is not directly achieved, we are convinced that the transfer of some of the technologies and practices across into orthodox orchards will have enormous benefit.”
The collaboration is yielding other major benefits as well, with the establishment of the OrchardWorld Crop Action Group for UK growers.
With Sainsbury’s sourcing top fruit from South Africa, Culley and Batchelar reported the initiation of a technical management academy working closely with Pieter De Wet of The Moreson Trust to set up a ‘residue-free fruit’ concept orchard in the country.
No comments yet