Soft Fruits in Scotland

Soft Fruits in Scotland

Scotland has long been synonymous with growing berries, the rolling landscapes and fertile soils are perfect for high quality crops, with Perthshire, Tayside and Fife earning a sterling reputation for the quality of their products.

The closure of one of Perthshire’s best-known berry growers was a devastating blow to the soft fruit industry in Scotland. Leadketty Farm has been home to the Corrigall family for 80 years and employed more than 100 people each summer during berry picking season.

But rising production costs saw the family forced to close down operations, taking to social media to share the heartbreaking news amid a wave of support and kind messages.?

And it is no surprise that even long-established growers are struggling - the biggest outlay for any soft fruit supplier is picking costs, and these have been increasing by 10 per cent year on year.

Climate change forecasts suggest that Scotland could continue to be an excellent region for growing soft fruit, while areas of England may become too hot and dry.?

Data shows that consumers would prefer to buy local, but the financial realities and demand for year-round availability of berries mean purchasing patterns tend to favour imported and cheaper products. It’s this approach that is leaving traditional family-owned businesses like the Corrigalls to suffer.

In fact, a survey by British Berry Growers, the industry body representing 95 per cent of British berries sold in the UK, found that 80 per cent of berry growers feel they no longer have partnership relationships with supermarkets. This disconnect is evident, despite the fact soft fruit is estimated to be worth £1.7 billion to the UK market.

However, research and technology being developed at the The James Hutton Institute could provide hope for the sector.

From developing more resilient strains, honing better quality products, flavours and yields to building in climate resilience and plant establishment.

One of the current projects is looking at alternative substrates to grow strawberries, raspberries and blueberries.

The Institute recently launched a new five-year project called Economics of Production which focuses on raspberries - looking at where savings can be made through research and breeding to help reduce production costs.

Positive change is driven by collaboration. The priority will always be to support growers across the UK, bringing together world leading researchers and scientists with farmers, to help find solutions for the challenges they are facing.





Source


要查看或添加评论,请登录

Habib Lahkak的更多文章

  • Blueberries: Powdery Mildew Spreading Across the Globe

    Blueberries: Powdery Mildew Spreading Across the Globe

    A new North Carolina State University study pinpoints the worldwide spread of a fungus that taints blueberry plants…

    4 条评论
  • Oman's First Blueberries

    Oman's First Blueberries

    Oman has successfully grown first blueberries in the Wilayat of Jabal Al Akhdar in Al Dakhiliyah Governorate. This…

    2 条评论
  • Global Blueberry Market

    Global Blueberry Market

    As Peru's blueberry harvest volumes reached normal levels again with increased exports, the global blueberry market has…

    4 条评论
  • Happy New Year 2025

    Happy New Year 2025

    As we step into 2025 with excitement for the future of agriculture, the past year has highlighted just how essential…

    1 条评论
  • Floating Strawberries in China

    Floating Strawberries in China

    On Dec 16, a team from the State Grid Hangzhou Power Supply Company visited the Strawberry Theme Farm in Linping…

  • Los Arándanos Argentinos

    Los Arándanos Argentinos

    “Actualmente, estamos finalizando la temporada, donde obtuvimos el peak de producción en la semana 41 y 43, habiendo…

  • Peru: Blueberry Growth

    Peru: Blueberry Growth

    Peru is expected to produce 323,928 tons of blueberries in the 2024-2025 season, exceeding initial estimates by 4.1%…

    6 条评论
  • La superficie de berries de Huelva crece un 4% en la campa?a de 2025

    La superficie de berries de Huelva crece un 4% en la campa?a de 2025

    La superficie de cultivo de berries en Huelva de cara a la campa?a de 2025 aumentará un 4% respecto al a?o anterior…

  • Australian berries to hit shelves

    Australian berries to hit shelves

    Tasmanian berry lovers are in for a treat with the arrival of locally grown raspberries and blackberries to shelves…

    1 条评论
  • Turkey: Interesting Window For Blueberries

    Turkey: Interesting Window For Blueberries

    Although demand for Turkish blueberries is already strong at some points of the year, the product is actually still a…

社区洞察

其他会员也浏览了