Tesco forecasts a strong UK apple season

UK's largest retailer, Tesco, says UK apple lovers should be excited for a fantastic apple season.

In a press release, Tesco projects the fruit's consumer demand will increase this year compared with last season. The grocery brand attributes the expected high-quality fruit to "near-perfect growing conditions."

This summer's berry season was an excellent one for the country's hand-held fruits. Long hours of sunshine led to high-quality bumper crops of strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and cherries.

Strong volume and high-quality fruit led to an increase in consumer demand. This summer's berry consumption rose 10 percent, and cherry consumption increased 35 percent.

After a full-of-sunshine berry summer and plenty of rainfall in recent weeks, growers told the retailer they are "forecasting a very strong yield of high-quality fruit landing on supermarket shelves over the autumn months."

And just like berries, Tesco says apple demand will increase by 10 percent.

James Simpson, managing director of Adrian Scripps, one of the UK’s biggest apple growers, told the company that "the fruit coming through is very attractive with an excellent skin finish, whereas last season we saw a level of russeting to the skin."

“Overall color is very good with the varieties now being harvested, and this is improving markedly with the later-season apples such as Kanzi® and Pink Lady®," Simpson added. "The cooler nights that we usually see in September will help the fruit color up."

Simpson said that most importantly, the flavor of the fruit is "fantastic, some of the best we’ve seen in recent years." The executive thanked the "gloriously sunny warm weather seen through late July and August” for the fruit.

Simpson said that most importantly, the flavor of the fruit is "fantastic, some of the best we’ve seen in recent years." He credited the "gloriously sunny warm weather seen through late July and August,” for the high-quality fruit.