New Crops Take Root As British Growers Adapt To A Changing Climate

British growers are exploring alternative crops as hotter, drier summers put pressure on familiar produce, with coffee trials and research into gene-edited soya among the developments highlighted by The Telegraph.

Its report examines how agriculture could adapt, while warning that growing something successfully does not guarantee a market. GB Potatoes chief executive Scott Walker highlighted retailers' preferences for established varieties as a barrier to introducing more drought-resistant alternatives.

For fresh produce, British-grown butternut squash offers a concrete example of how the crop range is already expanding.

Barfoots has established commercial UK production following trials with a variety developed by seed specialist Sakata. The grower says butternuts favour warm conditions and well-drained soils, making reliable large-scale production challenging in Britain's traditionally cooler, wetter climate.

The Mieluna F-1 hybrid was developed for earlier maturity and adaptability to cooler growing regions. According to Barfoots, breeding work also targeted consistent fruit shape, yield and quality.

"Growing British butternut has been an ambition for us for some time," said Barfoots farm director Neil Cairns when announcing the expansion.

The development illustrates the importance of crop breeding alongside changing weather: suitable varieties can help growers turn an opportunity into a commercial harvest.

Tea provides another example, although its British roots stretch back considerably further than recent heatwaves.

Cornwall's Tregothnan estate says its first tea bushes were planted in 1999. It attributes its growing conditions to a distinctive local microclimate, with the optimum area centred on 150 acres beside the river running through the estate.

Tregothnan also stresses that its production remains small by international standards. Its tea range includes blends combining Cornish leaves with those from Assam and Darjeeling, demonstrating how domestic growing and overseas sourcing can complement each other.

For growers considering diversification, these examples offer encouragement with a practical qualification: success depends on matching the crop and variety to the site, then finding customers for the harvest.