UK blackberry production is predicted to experience a surge similar to the boom blueberries have enjoyed in this country.

At this week's Fruit Focus event in East Malling, Kent, Berry Gardens md Nick Marston said the company was seeing a "steady production" of UK blackberries from August to September, and claimed M&S's new pledge to sell only "better tasting sweet varieties" in its UK blackberry range would reconnect consumers with the soft fruit.

Production levels of blackberries in the UK are set to increase in four to five years as a result of new research into primocane varieties of the crop.

"The first primocane commercial variety has just been released and we hope to see many more in three or four years time," Marston told FPJ. "Blackberry production in the UK becomes very limited from early October onward, but with the primocane variety we will be able to produce sweet tasting varieties until early November.

"Blackberries will be the next big crop; these will have a better eating quality and the season in the UK will be greatly extended."

The UK blackberry season has been late starting this year, with production coming on stream in late June to early July. Marston described it as a difficult season, but said the value of the product was up.

He predicted a "modest increase" in blackberry sales this year.

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