Despite the torrential rains in late June, and the unseasonal low temperatures during Wimbledon fortnight, the early start with virtually perfect growing conditions in April and May gave the UK soft fruit industry a terrific boost.
This is responsible for the high level of confidence which remains as the season progresses, believes Nicholas Marston, managing director of the newly established BerryGardens, which markets for KG Fruits.
This year KG Growers’ 72 co-operative members account for 1,316 hectares of strawberries, 390 hectares of raspberries and increased planting of niche crops like blackberries and blueberries, in support of traditional English plums and cherries. This makes it the largest specialist berry grower group in the country.
“The strawberry season started two weeks early,” says Marston. “We had excellent Class I fruit, in sharp contrast to last year when quite honestly the performance of Elsanta was awful.
“The weather remained good and encouraged consumption in May and June while temperatures provided ideal growing conditions. Strawberries don’t like heat,” he recalls.
The figures speak for themselves. By the end of June, Marston reveals that KG sales were 34 percent up on 2006, although the group’s hectarage only rose by five percent.
But he warns: “You only get one hit. So if sales were booming when the weather broke, the industry then had to come to terms with three very short weeks. At that point KG sales and those of the whole industry were down by between 25-30 percent.”
The main brunt of the often atrocious conditions has actually affected the 60-day Elsanta crop, much of which is grown in the open. These are seen as the historic bridge before everbearers - also covered - get underway.
The latest evaluation is that this fruit still looks excellent, and weather permitting will continue to be available up until October and beyond.
Raspberries offer a similar picture in as much as the crop was early, and the season got off to an excellent start resulting overall in a far better spread of fruit compared with 2006.
One key benefit with early varieties having been picked is that the clash with the Scottish season - which has just got underway - has been avoided.
Raspberries are also more resilient to weather changes, so while sales similarly stalled at the end of June this was less of a problem. Now he has high hopes of later varieties which will be back in volume shortly.
Latest KG berry crop estimates are being provided at the forthcoming Fruit Focus event.
Looking ahead, English blackberries are looking good as increased plantings of larger better tasting varieties come on stream. Many are a result on the ongoing co-operation with Driscolls - now a full time partner in BerryGardens.
“Blackberries do tend to be as affected by the weather changes,” explains Marston. “It tends to be more
of a ‘stop/go’ scenario. The good news however is that the fruit now occupies a constant space on customers’ shelves and the public have realised that it no longer a hedgerow crop.”
The first English Opals are also beginning to arrive, indicating that the English plum season has also got off to an early start. “It may even mean that we will see a gap before the arrival of Victorias at the beginning of August,” he notes.
“There are admittedly some excellent new varieties bred to fill the gap, but most are not self-fertile, with the result that cropping can be inconsistent.”
Looking beyond the current season he stresses that the main worries in growers’ minds still centre on the potential lack of seasonal labour. In recent years this has tended to be filled by pickers from the Eastern Bloc, but circumstances are changing.
“Workers that came from countries then outside the EC are now looking for full time jobs in the EU,” he says. “Poland has always been a good recruitment area but now its own unemployment is actually reducing so there is less possibility of filling the gaps.”
Another aspect which is not as widely known, he adds, is that Eastern European countries are changing their academic years so the student element which came across the Channel to UK farms may not be readily available in the future.
And finally there are ongoing concern over the scale of the industry itself in the years ahead, due to the debate over polytunnels - a subject which because of the environmental argument has already created its own high level of media headlines.
“Fortunately in both cases we are seeing a more positive attitude by the authorities,” Marston concludes. “There are ongoing discussions with the Home Office on labour in which the industry is involved. And I think there is a greater readiness to accept that the English soft fruit industry is worth preserving.”
Meanwhile though the English top fruit season is still several weeks away, a certain degree of optimism already exists in the industry due to forward programming by the majority of the major multiples, according Adrian Barlow, chief executive of English Apples and Pears. “And initial crop estimates this month indicate most varieties will be substantially higher than last year,” he says.
However, as Commercial Grower went to press this week, a number of top fruit growers, particularly in Kent, were reporting moderate to severe damage as a result of hail, with hailstones as large as marbles spotted in Canterbury. While the full extent of the damage on crops is not yet known, it is thought that the overall production figures will be affected as a result.
Barlow, who was speaking prior to the severe weather last weekend, said that his confidence is not just based on more English fruit becoming available, following a season where shortages occurred and growers simply could not meet demand.
“It is because many retailers, such as Marks and Spencer, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Tesco, Budgens, Somerfield and the Co-op gave us massive support which we already know will continue,” he explains.
“And now those who under performed, such as Asda and Morrisons, are not simply paying lip service to the industry, but also putting very detailed plans in place covering merchandising and advertising.
“The total response this autumn, which recognises that the public prefer English apples because of their taste, should be fantastic. And that will maximise English sales again this season.”
Barlow believes that there are additional beneficial factors which will come into play such as increasing retail competition to win a share of the market, and the use of strategies that support customer concern over food miles. “It’s all great news, and this year the prospects are better than ever,” he adds.
The key question of course remains whether the industry can deliver, and now the June drop has virtually concluded - unless there is a disaster - projected national yields will stay on course.
“Initially high temperatures in April produced an amazing display of blossom, and there was no frost,” he records. “It even created a scenario where there were expectations we might get a mega crop.
“However it was actually lower, which could have been a combination of poorer pollination, or because trees were under stress and still recovering from the drought conditions of previous summers.”
The subsequent rainy May made spraying against scab far more difficult, and may lead to a greater level of russetting. But at this stage Barlow says that skin finish looks extremely good.
The proof, of course will be in the pudding, and so far the figures are tentatively looking good when set against last year. Discovery is expected to be 26 percent higher and reach 2,400 tonnes, bringing it back to a more consistent level, while hectarage has remained stable.
Worcester, still a traditional early favourite with the public, is estimated to reach 1,800 tonnes - a 20 percent rise. However when it is remembered that 15 years ago these two accounted for a total of 12,000 tonnes, this reflects the changing shape in demand reflected in production.
Popular relative newcomers however, headed up by Gala and Braeburn, are still expanding. The former is projected to reach a record 25,600 tonnes compared with 21,000 tonnes last season, while the latter - where planting began later - is set to reach 8,500 tonnes compared with 6,000 tonnes.
Egremont Russett is marginally higher at 4,300 tonnes, and Spartan slightly down at 1,800 tonnes.
The cornerstone of the dessert market remains Cox, where there is a 15 percent rise forecast, equating to 48,400 tonnes - a climb back towards the recent record of 61,000 tonnes harvested in 2005.
And finally the Conference pear crop is expected to be slightly smaller at about 23,000 tonnes, around 1,000 tonnes less than 2005/06.
Turning to the fresh and processed sector dominated by Bramley, it is a similar picture. The crop should be 13 percent higher at 59,000 tonnes, although the Northern Irish crop is still to be taken into account. While the figures have yet to become available Barlow believes they will reflect a similar volume to last year.
There are other factors involved too which will strengthen demand, he believes. “The impact of Magners cider in UK terms has had a considerable effect on the processing sector and is likely to do so in the future. This has already led to additional demand and avoided any overhang at the end of the current season. And the market is already shortening up,” he says.
Looking at the wider scenario, he adds that there is expected to be a one million tonne shortfall in the Polish crop, with similar effects probably also being felt in adjacent countries such as Hungary.
“With less fruit available for processing, particularly on the German market, there will be less fresh fruit available throughout Europe, while because of orderly marketing from the Southern Hemisphere there should be no carryover.”
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