Research
and Development Strategy
Tree Fruits
The tree fruit sector is one of the smaller of
the 7 HDC sector Panels, contributing approximately
6% of the annual HDC income. This sector consists of,
in order of area and value, apples, pears, plums, cherries
and nuts. The UK industry has undergone a period of
declining market share, variable profitability and
associated rationalisation over the last 20 years.
However, in recent years profitability has improved
for some and there is guarded optimism amongst those
committed to a future in the industry.
The problems facing the industry include increased
global competition along with the consequent pressures
on price and quality, rising costs, a decreasing range
of approved pesticides and the availability of skilled
and semi-skilled labour.
The problems of the availability and costs of skilled
and semi-skilled labour are common to most sectors
in horticulture and are recognised by Defra and the
HDC. The HDC Tree Fruit Panel has funded various projects
exploring ways of reducing the labour requirement in
orchards and may fund future spin-off work flowing
from a new Defra project focused on this area. The
target of reducing labour costs per unit of production
is a major challenge involving new techniques, increased
capital investment, improved business management, staff
training and perhaps legislation.
Research and development work on tree fruits has
focused in the past roughly equally on husbandry, crop
protection, post-harvest and breeding and varietal
development. Consultation with the industry has supported
this allocation but has identified the need for greater
emphasis on developing new rootstocks, allowing the
industry to generally make it’s own commercial
decisions on new varieties.
Post-harvest losses vary widely but can be significant
on some sites in some seasons, as illustrated by diffuse
browning disorder (DBD). This intermittent problem
caused serious losses in 2004-05 and will continue
to be the focus of R&D until the causes and solution
are found.
Crop protection will remain a priority area and the
Panel will continue to support growers via the HDC
SOLA programme whilst taking into account the increasing
interest of consumers in how their food is produced,
particularly their perceived desire for a reduction
in both pesticide use and in the environmental impact
of crop production.
Mr Andrew Tinsley
Technical & Communications Manager
Download R&D Strategy Tables (PDF - 97K)
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