KG Fruits reported mixed 2004 soft-fruit fortunes for its UK growers, at Fruit Focus this Wednesday.
“The season started about a week later than 2003 and the weather has been more challenging,” said chairman Angus Davison. Year-on-year sales have risen by 8.3 per cent by volume, but there has been greater variability in financial returns to individual growers, he added.
According to Davison, many growers were short of pickers during the peak picking period because of a temporary decision by the UK government to refuse visas to non-EU Bulgarian and Romanian seasonal workers.
“There is no doubt that a lot of the crop was lost as a result, with some farms short of pickers by as much as 20 per cent of their workforce during May,” said Davison. A labour shortage left many growers to recruit EU nationals at the last minute.
Davison added that over the last 10 years the soft-fruit sector has experienced super-normal financial results. However, this season will be break even to normal, because of increasing risks, such as labour costs and falling prices, which have heightened the probability of serious loss, he said.
KG reported an increase in UK-grown raspberry sales of 5.3 per cent. Better eating quality varieties and improved growing methods are combining to push the sub-category forward.
Davison also announced that KG is supporting UK blueberry production with the aim of establishing significant commercial acreage in the next three to four years. Participating growers will be offered interest-free loans and agronomic advice.
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