Farmer urges shops to buy British strawberries

A fruit farmer has urged supermarkets to keep buying British produce over the autumn after summer heatwaves led to bumper crops of strawberries.

Robert Rendall, the managing director of Boxford Farms in Suffolk, said supermarkets begin to import more produce from abroad during autumn, but British strawberries - which usually reach peak sweetness in June and July - were still healthy.

"The message we're trying to get out there is there's still good quality UK fruit in volume, and we'd love to see those sold right through to the autumn.

"The autumn hopefully should make up for some of the difficult parts of the season we've had so far," Rendall said.

Strawberries can be planted outdoors from late June until September in the UK, but they can crop between March and December.

Rendall says high levels of light this season means farmers have had an "abundance" of fruit at times, which have been difficult to sell on.

He admitted there have been a lot of challenges growing the fruit during the summer heatwaves in Suffolk.

"Strawberries tend to shut down and go into survival mode in the heat. We've managed to keep them alive, but the other thing to bear in mind is the poor pickers! We've been getting up at four in the morning just to avoid the heat.

"It's a bit of a bonus I guess at the end of a long and gruelling hot season that the crops are continuing."

Rendall says after two-and-a-half decades he has adapted how his farm grows crops, adding: "I'm nearly 50 now and when I joined the industry 25 years ago I promised myself I'd never become a whinging farmer.

"But I've never seen a season that's the same. Every season throws up new challenges. We have to adapt."

The National Farmers' Union (NFU) has been calling for supermarkets to add a "buy British" section on their website, with many responding to that call in 2024.

Rendall said: "UK supermarkets are actually generally very supportive of the British season.

"What we'd like though is for them just to look at volumes and maybe maintain pack size and sales going through to the late season. That should hopefully help with sales and returns."

The British Berry Growers has urged retailers to maintain larger pack sizes for the fruit as a substantial increase in crop volumes were expected over the coming weeks.

Nick Marston, the group's chair, said: "The supply picture is very different from last August, when shortages led retailers to reduce pack sizes earlier than usual.

"This year, the latest forecasts indicate that considerably more British fruit will be available during this important late-season period.

"Growers need retailers to get behind that fruit as it comes through. Moving too quickly to smaller packs or switching prematurely to imported strawberries could leave substantial quantities of quality British fruit without a market."

Andrew Opie, the director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, said: "Food retailers source, and will continue to source, the majority of their food from the UK and are proud to support British agriculture.

"They are committed to supporting British farmers and have invested heavily in UK agriculture through partnerships, dedicated programmes and additional support."

The NFU said the worst drought in 50 years has caused many challenges for fruit growers across the UK. While some berry growers were enjoying bumper harvests the heat was also causing big problems for some fruit growers.

Martin Emmett, the chair of NFU Horticulture and Potatoes Board, said: "The hot, dry weather is affecting regions and crops differently, with many growers reporting earlier harvests. Despite challenging conditions, they are working hard to maximise yields and maintain quality.

"The UK grows 56% of the vegetables we consume and only 14% of our fruit. Those figures are falling, leaving us increasingly reliant on imports from countries facing severe water shortages and rising temperatures."

Do you have a story suggestion for Suffolk? Contact us below.