The UK tomato season has kicked off slightly early this year with growers cautiously optimistic for a better campaign than in 2004.

As well as last week's first pickings from the Isle of Wight, about a week ahead of last year, the De Lang brothers at Mill Nurseries in Keyingham have been picking fruit throughout the winter thanks to investment in supplementary lighting.

Cherry tomatoes are coming on stream first as they develop about seven days ahead of classic round tomatoes. Beef tomatoes should be on stream about a week after that.

"We have had mild winter but what we need most of all is sun and while it has been dull in the east, it has been bright enough further south," said Gerry Hayman of the British Tomato Growers’ Association.

Hayman warns thought that there has been some reduction in total acreage under tomatoes in the UK due in part to the poor campaign over the summer last year. "I think total acreage will be down by about 15 per cent compared to last year," he said. Some of the largest growers on the UK mainland have planted less and there is also reduction in Jersey plantings. "What we are seeing is glass being rented out to the garden-plants market or growers switching into other crops such as capsicum," said Hayman.

Fuel price rises in the autumn have also put off some growers from planting early knowing they would have a long season ahead of them with expensive heating costs, but where growers have decided to plant early it may well pay off given the extreme weather conditions in Spain and resulting shortage of tomato supply.

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