by Jez Abbott
Horticulture Week
29 May 2009

Good weather and the easing of workforce coming from other European countries have combined to give berry pickers an upbeat vibe for this year’s soft fruit season.

Herefordshire-based soft fruit grower Anthony Snell said fruit quality looked good, volumes were great, demand was strong and prices were “moderate, not too bad”.

Growers in Kent enjoyed a bumper start to the season and while Scotland struggled with bad weather, the crops were good, he said.

This would ensure an even spread of harvest nationally and an encouraging length to the season, said Snell. “We are also optimistic about labour, unlike last year when we suffered a shortage and had to walk away from crops. It looks like the extra workers from changes to the seasonal agricultural workers scheme (SAWS) are helping.”

The number of workers allowed into Britain under SAWS was increased by 5,000 late last year, following industry protests.

Taunton-based raspberry and strawberry grower Jan Butterley said: “I’m not that optimistic with price pressure, but the plants look potentially very good.

“Labour is good this year, which may have something to do with the recession. Poles are coming back and Romanians and Bulgarians are good. It may have something to do with changes to SAWS.”

Technical director Tim Newton of BerryWorld in Tonbridge, Kent, said: “The season started well: quality is good and volumes steady. We are excited about two new strawberry varieties bred by Edward Vinson – Sweet Eve and Eve’s