Where does bold, mouth-watering flavour come from? It starts with seeds and breeders
For this column, we are going to go off menu a bit because ironically, flavor does not start on the menu. Or in the kitchen. Or at the distributor. Or even in the field. Flavour starts with the development of a seed. Development, growing, testing, tasting. Re-developing, growing, testing, re-tasting. But I am getting ahead […]
Aldi reaches historic 20-year deal with British apple grower AC Goatham
AC Goatham & Son, one of the most renowned fruit farms in the UK, has reached a new £750 million deal with Aldi to supply it with fresh apples and pears. Based in Kent, AC Goatham has been working with Aldi since 2016, but was not its sole provider of British apples until last year. […]
What could be more impactful or fun than National Carrot Day? It’s happening in October.
The British Carrot Growers Association will host National Carrot Day on 3 October in Yorkshire and online to bring awareness and “safeguard the future” of this incredibly heathy and versatile root vegetable. “It’s time to make a bit of noise about the nation’s favourite vegetable, the carrot,” says Rodger Hobson, Chair of the BCGA and […]
WAPA: Southern Hemisphere forecast looks positive for apples but a bit less so for pears
The World Apple and Pear Association (WAPA) recently released its Southern Hemisphere apple and pear crop forecast for the upcoming season at Fruit Logistica in Berlin – with good news for one commodity and not-so-good news for the other. According to WAPA’s data revealed at its General meeting and consolidated from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, […]
Nectarines from South Africa looking good despite tough conditions for stone fruit overall
South African growers are increasing plantings of nectarines on the back of rising demand and better financial returns at grower level, although the industry is still under financial pressure. Young nectarine orchards that were planted in the last few years are now coming into production, with new higher-yielding varieties further boosting volumes and the use […]
Have we finally reached a ‘crisis’ moment in the divide between British growers and retailers?
Earlier this week, the chairman of British Berry Growers Nick Marston said that “confidence in their retailer partners had been dented,” notably impaired by an outdated Groceries Supply Code of Practice (GSCOP). “It is not fit for purpose in today’s inflationary marketplace,” said Marston, whose group represents 95% of those who grow in the commercial […]
DEFRA Secretary calls new Norwich vertical farm ‘brilliant example’ of UK’s growing innovation
DEFRA Secretary of State Steve Barclay recently toured the newest vertical farm under the Fischer Farms name in Norwich and offered this positive takeaway of the future of food production in the UK. “We have some of the world’s leading agri-tech innovators here in the UK, and I’m a firm believer in the potential of […]
Study: Regenerative cultivation could unlock key to soil health, preserving nutrients
Though still early, a recent study being conducted at the University of Leeds Farm is showing the steep potential and benefits of regenerative cultivation techniques over invasive ploughing. The study compares soil health, crop production, greenhouse gas emissions, and profit of different farming systems across seven 12m x 40m plots. Some of the plots were […]
