Practically perfect weather conditions have boasted apricot production in England with volumes set to increase six-fold this season compared with last year's yield.

The first English apricots went on sale at British Tesco stores earlier this week (beginning Monday July 6) partly supplied by Kent-based grower Nigel Bardsley who started a production plan five years ago with a view to launching a major scale-up of home-grown apricots.

After visiting French growers, Bardsley enlisted a team of breeding experts and agronomists to plant 5,000 apricot trees across eight hectares and the first commercial quantities of orange fleshed French style apricots were produced last year, although yields were fairly low with around 15 metric tons (MT) produced.

But thanks to a combination of optimum weather conditions combined with breeding developments, this season’s crop has increased to around 120MT. Alongside supplies from other growers, Tesco estimates it will receive around 200MT this season.

"We’ve had near perfect growing conditions so far this year with a cold winter to help let the trees rest; a mild spring to allow for good pollination and a warm, dry summer so far to boost growth," Bardsley says in a release.

"This combined with a unique large day/night temperature differentiation, has led to fantastic red blushed and incredibly sweet apricots.

"This year, weather permitting, we anticipate producing up to 120 tonnes (sic) which means that the English apricot industry is well and truly on its way."

The arrival of the English variety will be well-received by Tesco consumers who gave excellent feedback on last year’s apricots, according to the supermarket's stonefruit buyer Henry Maulik.

"Thanks to the great weather the quality of English apricots this summer is very good. The apricots we’ve tested this week are juicy and rich but firm with a nice blush," he says.

"We’re very proud of the quality of these English apricots and believe that one day they could even be as renowned as British strawberries, cherries, apples and pears."

Until a few years ago it was very difficult to grow apricots on a commercial basis in the U.K. because of the climate. Careful breeding programs have now made this possible.

www.freshfruitportal.com