The UK is approaching the mid-point in its blueberry season, after a very mild April meant harvesting in the earliest production areas in southern England began on June 10 - five weeks ahead of 2006.
“The whole of Europe has been early,” said Adrian Olins of BerryWorld. “Germany, France and Italy have all been early and now Poland is starting seven to 10 days earlier this year too.” A traditional gap in availability in mid-June this year was filled by the early French crop.
Olins said production in the UK was likely to continue throughout August with growers in Hereford and East Anglia coming on stream this week and Scottish growers potentially able to supply into September.
Although demand for a number of fresh produce lines has been dampened by the poor weather, blueberry sales have still enjoyed good growth. “Sales seem to be less weather dependent than other soft-fruit lines,” said Olins.
By 2012, BerryWorld plans to have 1,500 tonnes of UK production. “Our idea is not to compete with Poland, but to be as early as possible; there will be an overlap, but we hope to minimise that,” said Olins.
