New Nuffield Report On Unlocking More Value For UK Berry Growers

John Gray, Managing Director of Angus Fruits, has published his Nuffield Farming report titled ‘Fresh Produce Excellence: Growing Our Share Of The Value Chain’.

John Gray presenting at the 2024 Nuffield Farming Conference

Sponsored by The Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland and The Worshipful Company of Fruiterers, the report explores how the UK fresh produce industry—particularly berry growers—can capture a greater share of the value chain.

The full report is now available in the Nuffield Farming report library, while a video summary and conference presentation are also accessible online.

During his Nuffield Scholarship, John travelled extensively to the UK, the Netherlands, Norway, Japan, Singapore, New Zealand and Australia to meet breeders, growers and marketers. His research aimed to uncover global best practices in breeding, production, and marketing that could help UK growers add value and improve profitability.

In the report, John highlighted the challenges currently facing the UK berry sector:

“The UK berry sector is facing extremely challenging times. After many successful years, over the past four years costs of production have increased by approximately 40%. At the same time, output returns have increased by approximately 20%, resulting in a significant margin gap.”

One key area of opportunity identified is breeding innovation.

“New techniques in breeding, namely molecular marker assisted breeding and gene editing are speeding up the development of new berry varieties,” said John. “This is likely to bring benefits to growers in terms of higher yields and improved disease resistance which should allow for lower costs of production.”

John also compared production systems internationally. While the UK mostly relies on polytunnels, the Netherlands has adopted high-tech glasshouse systems.

“These systems, whilst initially a lot more expensive, allow for large yields per hectare and should a cheaper source of energy be available, then these systems represent an opportunity to increase efficiencies and to extend the season of availability of UK berries,” he observed.

In addition, the report pinpoints opportunities for export growth.

“These countries have rapidly expanding middle classes who are prepared to pay the same or more than European consumers for berries and, due to their tropical climates, will import berries for many years to come,” said John, referring to the Middle East and Southeast Asia. “These markets represent an opportunity for UK growers to spread their risk and ultimately add more value to their businesses.”

People also emerged as a key focus in John's findings.

“World-class individuals, when nurtured and empowered, drive businesses forward, fostering innovation and sustainable growth,” he concluded.

Key Findings:

• Breeding: Embrace gene editing and molecular marker-assisted techniques to develop superior berry varieties.

  
  

• Production: Invest in high-tech, data-driven systems to extend the UK berry season and improve efficiency.

  
  

• Export: Target new markets like the Middle East and Southeast Asia to diversify risk and boost returns.

  
  

• People: Invest in talent at all levels to unlock innovation and business growth.

John’s work calls for collaboration across the industry to seize these opportunities and secure a more profitable future for UK berry producers.