Fruit

British Apples & Pears Limited (BAPL), the UK top fruit grower association, has named Aldi as its 2023 apple retailer of the year.

The #GetFairAboutFarming campaign has seen over 60,000 people sign a petition to the government, but campaigners say the silence from major supermarkets has been “deafening”.

Fruit & Vine spoke with Pete Thompson of Thompson’s Fresh Produce Ltd, which specialises in growing for the specialist Oriental food sector, as well as niche tree fruit, to find out more about how a vegetable farm in Harwich has become known for its citrus fruits and olives.

A collaboration between NIAB and Viveros de Excelencia S.A. de C.V. (VIVEX) will see the launch of raspberry varieties Malling Bella and Malling Charm, from NIAB’s Malling™ Fruits portfolio, in Mexico.

The farming minister has announced 19 projects will receive a share of government funding to develop new technologies to predict strawberry yield, increase vineyard productivity and optimise harvesting schedules.

Independent horticultural consultancy ADAS has announced the launch of the first-ever carbon calculator designed exclusively for the horticulture sector to help growers and businesses work towards their sustainability goals.

As of January 2024, NIAB’s entire strawberry breeding programme, including the varieties within the Malling Fruits portfolio, will be overseen by global biotechnology firm Bayer, as the company seeks to expand its fruits and vegetables business to strawberries.

The #GetFairAboutFarming campaign is encouraging the leading ‘Big Six’ supermarkets to adopt fairer principles for farmers – as research shows 49% of fruit and veg farmers fear closure within 12 months.

Senior agronomists have announced that this year’s blackberry season has produced a very high-quality crop, sweeter and larger than their hedgerow counterparts. The work of UK growers has ensured a strong harvest this year, ensuring availability of blackberries through to November, with peak production now underway.

The wettest July since 2009 was a major concern for UK berry growers – blueberries are particularly sensitive to overly wet conditions. However, agronomists are delighted with how the crop has grown and stood up to the unseasonably wet weather – and they say that this is in large part thanks to bumblebees.

British Apples & Pears Limited (BAPL), the UK top fruit grower association, has announced an expansion of its existing Farming Innovation Pathways feasibility project to analyse the impact of British apples on the environment. The project is called: Supporting top fruits journey to Net Zero.

Preserving harvest quality in stored fruit has long been the focus for many growers, but with margins under strain from higher costs, the need to maximise returns has arguably never been greater. Fruit & Vine gets some expert advice on ensuring storage success.