According to British Berry Growers, not only is this year’s strawberry crop likely to be larger and sweeter than usual thanks to the weather, but the area of production has risen slightly despite the numerous challenges faced by growers.
“Yields to date are up 30 per cent year on year,” Nicholas Marston, chairman of British Berry Growers told Fresh Plaza. “Demand for strawberries in May and June is always good, they are the first new season fruit on the market, before the melons and stone fruit from Europe come in. We can get flushes in production later in the season, but at the moment, demand and supply are balanced.
“The living wage has gone up 6.7 per cent, growers understand that workers need to earn a decent wage, so this is not a problem. But in addition to this, they are also having to cover an increase of 1.5 per cent in National Insurance contributions as well as a lowering of the limit where these contributions have to be paid. In total, this all adds up to an 11 per cent increase in direct labour costs, which account for over 50 per cent of the total cost of production.”
Other uncertainties include labour availability and the ending of the Fruit and Vegetable Aid Scheme in England. However, Nick also commented that, “On a positive note, the area planted in strawberries has increased slightly this year after a few years of stagnation, showing grower confidence in increasing again.”
