Fruit

Six months since the start of the British apple and pear season, British Apples & Pears Limited (BAPL) has analysed which supermarkets have surpassed last year’s performance and which are lagging behind.  

The British Tomato Fortnight campaign is returning this year to promote the humble, delicious, nutritious and responsibly produced British tomato. 

Co-op has become the first UK retailer to announce it is moving to 100% British strawberries for the summer season across its entire own brand range. 

Warmer weather during last week helped deliver more than 150 tonnes of fruit grown in the UK, approximately 375,000 boxes of berries.

British beekeepers and residents have been urged to remain vigilant after an invasive hornet species was recently found on two occasions.

This year’s NIAB Tree Fruit Day saw a range of scientists sharing alternative products and management strategies for tree fruit pests and diseases, as loss of chemistry becomes an increasing challenge. Deputy editor Sarah Kidby reports.

Creating ciders with 100% fruit juice rather than imported concentrates is a point of principle for Dowding’s Apple Juice & Cider, based in Somerset. Deputy editor Sarah Kidby spoke to farm owner Oliver Dowding, on the challenges facing smaller producers, the importance of working with other local businesses, and how the organic farm uses innovative approaches to tackle pest and disease problems.

NIAB has just published its 2024 annual review, following the success of the first publication last year. 

Plumpton College has announced a suite of sustainability-focused degree programmes alongside its validating partner, the University of Greenwich.

Margins are getting tighter and growers are facing a cocktail of difficulties, not least the challenges posed by the supply chain and working with retailers. Sarah Kidby spoke to Yorkshire grower Annabel Makin-Jones about the rewards of launching her own luxury food brand – Annabel’s Deliciously British – four years ago.

The cost of producing a kilo of British apples continues to rise for UK growers. The new data reveals that UK farmers have seen a further 5.5% increase in costs of production in the last year. 

A UK berry grower, Hall Hunter, has recently launched an extensive recruitment programme for workers before the season kicks off for good.