English apples: Biggest crop in 20 years
Some 160,000 tons of the traditional fruit are expected to be picked this season and, experts say, the cool August means the colour will be particularly vibrant.
As well as an increasing amount of popular varieties, such as Gala and Braeburn, growers have also produced 45% more of varieties including Jazz, Zari, Kanzi, Opal, Junami, Cameo and Reubens.
Demand for those types has grown as tastes change, with British consumers wanting sweeter, juicier and crunchier apples that also look more appealing.
Growers are no longer totally reliant on the weather and are using technology to help them improve the fate of their crop.
English apple growers were among the first in the world to use robotic technology to make the production process as efficient as possibly.
Modern orchards have been physically changed so that apples are now grown on a continuous "hedgerow" system, rather than on widely spaced trees, to grow more apples and making picking easier and quicker.
Source: yahoo.com
