Amid concerns over the viability of apple production in the UK, growers are set to plant significantly fewer trees this year. British Apples and Pears Limited (BAPL) reveals that, traditionally, the industry aims to plant between one million and 1.5 million trees annually.
However, this year's figures show a stark decline, with orders for only half a million saplings, and a subsequent cancellation of a third of these orders. This reduction comes in response to a combination of inflation, reduced profitability from supermarket sales, and the impacts of climate change. James Smith of Loddington Farm in Kent, representing the fifth generation of his family in the fruit-growing business, has had to remove three orchards, citing the financial unfeasibility of continuing apple production under current conditions.
Source: dailymail.co.uk