Beating winter blues

A deep-rooted association between berries and the summer has not prevented sales of the product during the chilly winter months, which have risen dramatically. Suppliers are responding by seeking out the sources and varieties that will keep the momentum going. Dominic Weaver reports.

Although kids expect a satsuma not a punnet of strawberries at the bottom of their Christmas stocking, the latter is becoming an increasingly prominent addition to winter festivities in the UK. Once the exclusive fruit of the summer, a great strawberry should now be within the reach of every consumer, every day of the year.

David Johnston, technical director of AMS Ltd, says after all the expected promotional furore surrounding berries in the summer, the company has embraced the new challenges presented by the winter market.

"This is one part of the year where things are getting interesting," he says. "The core of the strawberry business during October and November is still English, Dutch and Belgian glasshouse Elsanta, which then fades out to be replaced by Israel and Egyptian Tamar."

UK-based AMS Ltd has staff and facilities in most major soft fruit growing areas of the world. The company has opened a number of farming operations in the UK and overseas to beef up its offer.

"As one crop disappears there is often a window of shortage," says Johnston. "Over the past few years AMS has endeavoured to fill this gap  and for the first time this year has Tamar from its own farms in South Africa and a Well-Pict variety from its own farm in Portugal."

Johston says that while Israel and Egypt will remain AMS's primary winter sources, South Africa and Portugal both have a role to play in fulfulling heavy demand in the lead up Christmas and the New Year. "In addition these own sources are useful for supplying niche areas of the business," adds Johnston.

AMS's association with Well-Pict in California has been formalised through the joint owned company named Well-Pict European. "An exciting part of this development is the association with the world renowned breeding programmes of Plant Science Inc in California," says Johnston. "For late winter in 2002 we expect to be starting with two new varieties out of Spain and Portugal. Both varieties show improvements on Camarosa in the UK."

Increasing volumes of raspberries are a direct response to the rapidly increasing UK and European demand. "In late Autumn and early winter AMS's own production of raspberry in Portugal has reduced dependence on the crop from Chile, which has had difficulties in assuring November start dates," says Johnston. "AMS is similarly encouraging the production of long-cane raspberry production in Spain with premium varieties for all the winter months. Spain looks set to possibly replace Chile as the principal supplier of winter raspberries"