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British Summer Fruits hails seasonal success
United Kingdom
Sunday 04 November 2007
UK berry grower association announces a 10.9 % rise in sales for the 2007 season.
British Summer Fruits, the industry body representing over 90 per cent of UK berry growers, has announced that British consumers purchased over £282m (€405m) of home-grown berries from UK supermarkets in 2007. This figure represents a total of 59,000 tons and an overall increase of 10.9 per cent in sales of British soft fruit.
Blackberries are currently the fastest growing berry within the soft fruit sector with sales rising by an impressive 44 per cent in 2007, reaching a value of £6m (€8.6m) and 771 tons.
The association said the traditional fruit was experiencing a surge in popularity, in part due to the ready availability of sweeter dessert varieties as well as consumers becoming more aware of their health benefits.
Strawberries maintained a steady growth of 12 per cent with sales of £216m (€310m) and 52,000 tons. Raspberries showed an increase of 7 per cent with sales of £60m (€86m) and 6,200 tons.
The grower group also claimed the use of polytunnels, which are used for 90 per cent of the soft fruit sold through supermarkets in the UK, saved British berry growers from suffering the same levels of devastation suffered by other fresh produce sectors during the summer's heavy rains.
Laurence Olins, chairman of British Summer Fruits, said: "It has been a very challenging season with record rainfall coupled to months of grey skies, which dampened demand levels. Considering the very wet weather we endured, the sales figures are impressive."
British Summer Fruits, the industry body representing over 90 per cent of UK berry growers, has announced that British consumers purchased over £282m (€405m) of home-grown berries from UK supermarkets in 2007. This figure represents a total of 59,000 tons and an overall increase of 10.9 per cent in sales of British soft fruit.
Blackberries are currently the fastest growing berry within the soft fruit sector with sales rising by an impressive 44 per cent in 2007, reaching a value of £6m (€8.6m) and 771 tons.
The association said the traditional fruit was experiencing a surge in popularity, in part due to the ready availability of sweeter dessert varieties as well as consumers becoming more aware of their health benefits.
Strawberries maintained a steady growth of 12 per cent with sales of £216m (€310m) and 52,000 tons. Raspberries showed an increase of 7 per cent with sales of £60m (€86m) and 6,200 tons.
The grower group also claimed the use of polytunnels, which are used for 90 per cent of the soft fruit sold through supermarkets in the UK, saved British berry growers from suffering the same levels of devastation suffered by other fresh produce sectors during the summer's heavy rains.
Laurence Olins, chairman of British Summer Fruits, said: "It has been a very challenging season with record rainfall coupled to months of grey skies, which dampened demand levels. Considering the very wet weather we endured, the sales figures are impressive."
