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English apple development has been affected by dry weather conditions and warm nights.
Forecast volumes for dessert and culinary varieties have shrunk and fruit size will be smaller than expected this year, said English Apples and Pears.
Dry conditions have put trees under stress and maturation is taking place at differing rates, said chief executive Adrian Barlow. “It is going very quickly in some orchards and very slowly in others. It’s a very unusual feature not following any particular regional pattern.”
Significant volumes of Cox apples will fail to colour and will remain unpicked. Cox volumes are set to be 47,000 tonnes, 5,000 lower than expected, but still 10% more
than last year. Bramley is now expected to reach 45,000 tonnes - 5,000 less than earlier forecasts - and 10,000 less than last year.
Gala forecasts have also been revised downwards from 21,000 to 19-20,000 tonnes. However,
growers are nevertheless expecting England’s largest-ever Gala crop and skin finish will be excellent, said Barlow. It remains too early to get a clear picture for Cameo and Braeburn. Despite the downward revisions, Barlow insisted that there was plenty of fruit for retailers, although the processing market would be shorter. There would be more fruit for polybags this year, he said.
He admitted top fruit growers were feeling “vulnerable”, following an influx of cheap southern hemisphere fruit. But they have been cheered that apple harvests on the Continent look set to be smaller than expected, and by the increasing tendency for UK retailers to state a commitment to selling English apples when possible.
Barlow said: “One retailer, which I shan’t name, will be selling English Gala exclusively for a four to six-week period this year, availability permitting, whereas a few years ago it sold no English Gala at all.”
Richard Clarke
Forecast volumes for dessert and culinary varieties have shrunk and fruit size will be smaller than expected this year, said English Apples and Pears.
Dry conditions have put trees under stress and maturation is taking place at differing rates, said chief executive Adrian Barlow. “It is going very quickly in some orchards and very slowly in others. It’s a very unusual feature not following any particular regional pattern.”
Significant volumes of Cox apples will fail to colour and will remain unpicked. Cox volumes are set to be 47,000 tonnes, 5,000 lower than expected, but still 10% more
than last year. Bramley is now expected to reach 45,000 tonnes - 5,000 less than earlier forecasts - and 10,000 less than last year.
Gala forecasts have also been revised downwards from 21,000 to 19-20,000 tonnes. However,
growers are nevertheless expecting England’s largest-ever Gala crop and skin finish will be excellent, said Barlow. It remains too early to get a clear picture for Cameo and Braeburn. Despite the downward revisions, Barlow insisted that there was plenty of fruit for retailers, although the processing market would be shorter. There would be more fruit for polybags this year, he said.
He admitted top fruit growers were feeling “vulnerable”, following an influx of cheap southern hemisphere fruit. But they have been cheered that apple harvests on the Continent look set to be smaller than expected, and by the increasing tendency for UK retailers to state a commitment to selling English apples when possible.
Barlow said: “One retailer, which I shan’t name, will be selling English Gala exclusively for a four to six-week period this year, availability permitting, whereas a few years ago it sold no English Gala at all.”
Richard Clarke
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