Thanks to the groundbreaking new fruit growing system in Essex, it was possible to send strawberries to store shelves two weeks earlier.
Producers in Suffolk say their crop looks average in terms of maturity and yield, despite reports of early ripening. Last year, the crop ripened quite early, thanks to the warm spring weather after the cold wave of “The Beast from the East”.
Wilkin & Sons of Tiptree County managed to extend their strawberry season to more than six months as a result of changes in cultivation methods introduced about three years ago that allowed it to double its capacity.
“Thanks to our innovative Tiptree cultivation system, we have fresh strawberries in stores since the end of April. This is two weeks earlier than fruits grown on countertops under Spanish tunnels. New technologies have allowed us to extend the strawberry growing season, which was initially limited to six weeks at the height of summer, to more than six months. Our strawberries are grown for the fresh fruit market, ”said Chris Newenham, co-managing director.
According to industry body British Summer Fruits (BSF), strawberries occupy the largest market share among all fruits grown in the UK and account for 24.5%, which increases the cost of the berry industry by more than 1.4 billion pounds.
Fresh strawberries are currently the most popular berry and must-haves in shopping carts.
