The UK strawberry season is running a bit late this season, Scottish grower Robert Simpson, Managing Director at Fife Fruits, said that they have just started picking the first berries.
"We are running a couple of weeks late; it has been a long winter. It seems like it started raining when we were finishing last year's harvest and has been cold and wet since. We have had a few weeks of sunshine, but now it's overcast again and not very warm. The last three weeks have helped and the plants have moved on well and are looking good, but they won't catch up.
"We are on the east coast where we regularly get haar which means that some days we only get sunshine in the afternoon. This kind of weather can also increase the risk of disease as it is muggy and there is little air movement in the tunnels."
The acreage at Fife Fruits has remained consistent over the last few years, "There is no incentive to expand as no one is making money in the soft fruit business these days, there are some growers who are stopping all together."
Prices have not been agreed with the retailers as the first volumes go to the local market, but according to Robert people are talking about better returns.
"That remains to be seen, if there is less availability then that may increase prices as retailers are motivated by empty shelves.
"We are hopeful that labour will be in better supply this season, the last few years there has been Brexit, Covid and wars which have affected our labour supply and we have lost experience pickers. There are none of those issues this year so we are expecting to have some returners which is what we want."
For more information:
Robert Simpson
Fife Fruits
Tel.: +44 1334 655024
[email protected]
www.fifefruits.co.uk