Although the cold weather has caused some minor russetting in colder areas, even down to colder areas within an orchard as well as across regions, generally Simpson feels there is less of an issue than last year with skin finish.
"I believe the UK crop will be similar to last season, perhaps with some slight increases where growers have young orchards coming into production, notably with Braeburn and the newer varieties. Size will be good, but possibly not as large as last season," according to Simpson.
Over the last couple of years Adrian Scripps had carried out considerable replanting, this year less was done but new planting will increase again coming years.
"Gala and Braeburn remain popular in the UK for new orchards, there are some new varieties being planted, but they have to be better than Gala or Braeburn for us to consider them."
Always at the forefront of technology, the company have invested heavily in storage and packing facilities with some ground breaking technology in the packhouse as well as a large block of DCA storage supplied from Isolcell (Italy) and UKCA.
Last season was tough on top fruit growers all over Europe, but Simpson explains, "We were pleased with our results from last season when considered in the context of the aggressive market place. It was not a fantastic year, but not as bad as we had feared."
Latest figures suggest a rise in consumption of apples and pears in the UK, albeit with value of the sales not matching the increase in volume. "I think in the circumstances we, as an industry, should be pleased with this," said Simpson.
According to Simpson export is not really an option at the moment due to the current rise in the strength of sterling which prevents any real opportunity to export, as realistic values for produce cannot be achieved through exporting.
For more information:
James SimpsonAdrian Scripps Ltd
Tel: +44(0)1892 832406
Email: James@adrianscripps.co.uk