Fruit

Simon Bray’s Jazz apples, grown in Kent, once again scooped the tastiest apple title at this year’s National Fruit Show.

Hutchinsons agronomist Nigel Kitney has been recognised for his outstanding lifetime contribution to the fruit sector at this year’s National Fruit Show.

As the UK horticulture sector continues to face significant challenges, from soaring production costs to a lack of certainty over future workforce availability, the NFU has welcomed many of the House of Lords’ recommendations to the government to help overcome barriers and grow the sector.

Growing Kent & Medway has awarded a share of over £1.6M to 13 businesses to fund projects that will sustainably transform the horticultural and plant-based food and drink supply chain.

Growers are being reminded to review farm insurance policies amid a much-improved crop for top fruit this season, alongside an expected increase in value.

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.