Scottish berry supplier Angus Soft Fruits hosted its annual conference on 14 November in the heart of Scotland's northeast coast, a region central to domestic berry production. The event brought together growers, staff, and partners to celebrate the company’s 30th anniversary.
“I’m delighted to be here celebrating with you all,” said Jim Fairlie, Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity in the Scottish Government. “And there’s a huge amount to celebrate in this sector, both what Angus Soft Fruits has achieved over that time, and the achievements of the fruit sector in Scotland as a whole.
"That means not only our growers, but all those in different roles across the supply chain who have all played a crucial part in the sector’s success. The soft fruit industry has been a real success story for Scotland in the face of some significant challenges.”
Positive Trends
Following a period of high inflation, Lesley Ann Gray from Kantar noted that lower inflation was beginning to make households more comfortable, with premium products driving growth in the FMCG sector. Rabobank’s Cindy van Rijswick highlighted positive consumption trends in Germany and the Netherlands, where berries were outperforming overall fresh fruit sales. “Despite all the talk of healthy eating these days, consumers are not eating more fruit and vegetables,” she revealed, “but berries are still doing well.”
That growth, she said, was being driven by premium varieties, with a notable shift in varietal preference across the category. “In 2018/19 in Spain, the top three varieties accounted for almost 80 per cent of volumes,” van Rijswick explained. “Now it is less than 50 per cent.”
Lucy Wilkins, Breeding Programme Director for the Ava Berries Breeding Programme, provided updates on new raspberry varieties recently launched, alongside trials of new strawberry and blackberry varieties. “This summer we launched two new raspberries, Ava Dali and Ava Monet,” she said, emphasising their reduced cost of production, faster picking speed, high yield, and premium quality. “They look amazing in the punnet, really helping with repeat purchases. There are trials underway to develop these varieties year-round.”
Wilkins also mentioned ongoing trials in Huelva for two early strawberry varieties in the standard-plus segment, Ava Alicia and Ava Catalina, which will complement the June-bearing Ava Magnum, one of the UK premium market's most popular strawberries. “We also have a new, low-chill strawberry called Bachata,” she revealed, “which is an early premium variety with long conical fruit and good tolerance to powdery mildew. In addition, we are coming to the end of the selection process for three blackberries that we are really excited about. Our aim is to increase our special varieties from 20 per cent to 50 per cent of sales.”
Leading the Way
Angus Soft Fruits Managing Director John Gray expects exports to continue growing, reaching current markets such as Japan and the UAE, as well as entering new countries. “Scotland leads the way in UK food and drink exports with whisky and salmon,” he said. “So why not berries? There are huge opportunities in Asia if we can gain access to markets like Vietnam and Thailand.”
Tom Harvey of premium UAE retailer Spinneys highlighted Angus’ recent success in the Gulf market. “Angus strawberries are the most expensive in the store, selling for around £11 for two punnets,” he said. “It’s the number one line at Spinneys, not just for fruit but for the total business. Out of around 27,000 products, Scottish strawberries account for 1 per cent of our total sales, which is incredible. At the moment we have exclusivity over the Ava Magnum, so no other retailer in the UAE or Saudi Arabia has this variety right now. Next year, we will also be offering the premium Ava Monet raspberry.”
The 'Tech Effect'
According to van Rijswick, collaboration and partnerships will be essential for fresh produce businesses going forward. “You need the whole supply chain to work together in order to ensure consumer satisfaction,” she said.
The UK Agri-Tech Centre has a two-year collaboration with Angus Soft Fruits, and the group’s Claire Hodge provided an update on research projects aimed at addressing sustainability, food security, disease pressures, and labour and productivity issues. The centre is working on increasing strawberry quality and yield through precision pollination using Polybee drones, enhancing pollinator activity with acoustic technology, and early disease detection in apple orchards through hyperspectral imaging.
James Porter, an Angus grower, revealed that his farm at East Scryne had successfully trialled a robot from Saga, a company offering autonomous robots that use UV light to prevent powdery mildew in strawberries and grapes in the UK and the US. “In 2024, Saga treated 10 per cent of the UK strawberry market,” said Saga’s Damian Flynn. “Now we’re doubling the acreage we’re doing with Angus, from 20 hectares this year to 40 hectares next year.”
Morocco-based grower Carlos Portoles expressed concerns about current production trends in North Africa, suggesting that investing in new technologies was unrealistic for many producers. “When a grower is already struggling to cover costs, it takes a lot of bravery to invest in new technologies,” he said. “We are worried in Morocco, as Hass avocados are taking over from strawberries. Three years ago, we had a production area of 3,800 hectares. Now we have 2,000 hectares. In Morocco, berries are still grown in the traditional way, in soil, and producers don’t see the value in adopting new technologies.”
“The important thing about technology is that it has to work for the grower,” stressed Flynn.
“The adoption of mechanisation, automation, robotisation, and AI has to be a step-by-step process,” added van Rijswick. “It will take some years for everything to be automated, but technology will be crucial in overcoming many challenges within the industry.”
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