According to Hargreaves Plants, the quality of strawberry plants and raspberry canes produced for this season has been excellent. "The SupaViga brand goes from strength to strength and the benefits of the high-cost inputs are there to be seen in the crops, said the company's Rupert Hargreaves.
The secrets of its success are experience, knowledge and technology. "At the beginning of the season we strengthened our already well experienced team and took the whole production system to pieces and questioned it once more.
"Peter Knight joined the team bringing many years of practical experience from the industry and new overseas technical fruit specialists were brought in so we could have different perspective from outside the circle.
"We now feel we have the best plant nutrient knowledge of any plant producer in Europe and that, coupled with new irrigation technology, has produced a wonderful crop of plants.
"This year's heat has demonstrated that it is ludicrous to grow strawberry plants and raspberry canes without irrigation coverage. The stresses due to lack of water store up in the plant and affect the health, vigour and no doubt flower numbers. All of these potentially crippling establishment and yield at a later date."
This season, Hargreaves believes it has increased its UK market share as well as managing to break onto the continental European market.
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