How a £200,000 Investment Is Climate-Proofing UK Blackcurrant Farming
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📰 The quick summary: A £200,000 research investment aims to help UK blackcurrant crops withstand increasingly extreme weather, protecting the long-term future of British blackcurrant farming.
📈 One key stat: This year’s UK blackcurrant harvest is expected to come in about 10% below the average of 10,000 tonnes, highlighting how severely extreme weather events are already affecting domestic fruit production.
💬 One key quote: “It’s about ensuring British blackcurrant production continues to thrive for generations to come,” said Jo Hilditch, chair of the Blackcurrant Foundation trade association and a Herefordshire grower.
1️⃣ The big picture: UK blackcurrant farmers are facing one of their most difficult seasons on record, with crops battered by a wet winter, spring frosts, hail, and intense summer heatwaves all in a single year. Climate change is driving these increasingly erratic weather patterns, pushing the current harvest around 10% below the average of 10,000 tonnes. In response, a £200,000 collaborative research programme has been launched to find practical ways to help blackcurrant bushes survive environmental stress. Researchers will test organic soil additions like wool, pasteurised manures, and green waste to improve soil health, moisture retention, and crop resilience. Farmers are also working on developing new blackcurrant varieties better suited to a warming climate.
2️⃣ Why is this good news: A targeted investment in soil health and crop resilience research offers a concrete path forward for British blackcurrant farming, even as climate pressures mount. By testing organic soil additions that improve moisture retention and nutrient cycling, researchers aim to build stronger, more adaptable crops that can handle both floods and droughts. New blackcurrant varieties are also in development, designed to produce fruit without relying on long cold winters, making them better suited to a warming world. Protecting domestic blackcurrant production matters beyond any single brand, since it supports farming communities, rural economies, and local food supply chains across England and Scotland. If successful, the methods developed here could inform broader strategies for climate-proofing other soft fruit crops facing similar threats.
3️⃣ What’s next: Researchers at the National Institute of Agricultural Botany in Kent will assess how organic soil additions affect bush vigour, yield, and berry quality across UK blackcurrant farms. Growers may also need to install reservoirs and irrigation systems to handle longer dry spells, even in traditionally rainy regions. Work on developing new blackcurrant varieties that thrive in warmer winters continues alongside the soil health programme.
Read the full story here: The Guardian – Ribena owner invests in helping blackcurrants withstand extreme weather
