British blueberries are the latest fruit to benefit from the warmest spring on record, with the harvest up by almost a quarter so far this year. Growers say the weather has produced an early crop with more and larger berries, while new varieties can bring higher yields and better resilience.
About 5,133 tonnes are expected by the end of August, up significantly from almost 4,187 tonnes by the same point last year. Sales of the fruit are already 9% ahead year on year, driven by growing awareness of its health properties and a healthy crop.
Daniel Martin, group commercial director at S&A Produce, said: “This blueberry season has seen a really positive early start, about two weeks ahead of schedule, thanks to strong light levels and an absence of rain. As a result, we’re seeing excellent fruit size and nice, even ripening across the crop.”
The harvest is also being aided by new technology as growers invest in automated picking. Jim Floor, managing director of Hall Hunter, said the company now used machines to harvest 10% of its crop, with this expected to rise to 30% next year. “When it comes to robotic fruit picking, we’re seeing steady and encouraging progress,” he added.
Nick Marston, chair of British Berry Growers, said all UK berry crops, including strawberries, raspberries and blackberries, were up by about 25% so far thanks to “cracking weather” in June. However, he cautioned that the overall season total might not match that increase, as some fruit had simply been harvested earlier than usual.
