Weather woes for Shropshire fruit farms

Fruit farmers in Shropshire are suffering their worst start to a growing season for more than 40 years due to the rain and cold climate.

Growers have already lost two weeks of fruit-picking as many of the strawberries, raspberries and gooseberries in the fields have not yet ripened. The shortage of regular sunlight and warm temperatures has been blamed for the problems.

Fears have been raised that the late start to the season could hit farmers' takings, while there are also concerns that some of the fruit could rot if the wet weather continues.

And the outlook of the next few days is not looking too promising. Temperatures could reach 22C (72F) tomorrow, but rain is expect- ed to return on Wednesday.

Julie Jones, owner of Wistanstow Fruit Farm near Craven Arms, said: "We have not been able to open yet and we haven't been able to put a date on when we will. We are having to wait for the weather because nothing is ripening.

"Normally you would expect to see gooseberries, then strawberries and then raspberries and we would expect to have six weeks of picking, but the strawberries haven't even started yet.

"We need the sunshine to help the fruit ripen, but we have only had three days of it this week and nothing the week before."

John Roberts, owner of Bearstone Food Farm near Market Drayton, said: "We have been running this place for 42 years and it is the worst start to a season we have ever had. We opened last Sunday but it was a waste of time because we have had so much rain that no-one has come to pick any fruit – and to be honest you cannot blame them.

"The cold April has not helped and now it is a combination of the wet and cold weather which is not helping. We don't grow our fruit in tunnels like a lot of the supermarket stock from Spain as I believe it tastes different, so it is all open to the elements.

"If this wet weather sticks around too much longer we could be in trouble as some of the fruit in the field could go rotten.

"The problem with losing these two weeks is that it is time you never get back."

The traditional fruit growing season runs from late May and early June to early August.

• Shropshire weather forecast

By Peter Kitchen