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Suntory to invest £200,000 to help UK blackcurrants withstand extreme weather
The UK blackcurrant harvest is expected to be about 10% below the typical 10,000 tonnes, with June and July heatwaves causing berries to drop early and some fruits expected to be smaller.
The owner of Ribena, Suntory Beverage & Food, plans to invest £200,000 to help UK blackcurrant bushes better tolerate stress from extreme weather, as the current season’s harvest faces pressure from abnormal conditions. The UK blackcurrant harvest is expected to come in about 10% below the average of 10,000 tonnes. The harvest is under way in key growing areas including East Anglia, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Kent, and Scotland. According to coverage by The Guardian Business, growers attributed the shortfall to a wet winter that delayed pruning and weeding, followed by localised frosts and hail in spring. Intense heatwaves in June and July then scorched plants and prompted some berries to drop prematurely. The article also notes that dry conditions have left limited rain expected before harvest finishes in early August, contributing to smaller fruits. An agronomist at Suntory said growers have faced one of the wettest winters on record, frosts and hail, and then exceptionally challenging summer heat for blackcurrant bushes.