Fruit crops like strawberries and plums are expected to be up to three weeks late this year. The delay is due to the recent cold and wet weather. The berry season officially started on 1 May, but the chilly conditions have slowed down the growing process.
Last year it was an exceptionally early season, with a very hot April and May. This year it’s been the reverse. The strawberries of grower Rees Keene – Over Farm, in Gloucester – are also expected to be three weeks behind schedule. The wet May comes after a dry but frosty April, which put paid to some of his crops.
Keene told bbc.com: “It’s going to delay us a bit with getting a bit of money back into the business. It’s all fun and games and it’s part of the challenge of farming. The long-range forecast seems to be better, we’ll have showers on odd days rather than wall-to-wall heavy rain, so fingers crossed.”