Suntory Beverage & Food's significant investment of £200,000 in bolstering the resilience of blackcurrant bushes against increasingly volatile weather patterns has been announced as the UK's current blackcurrant harvest – now underway in key growing regions including East Anglia, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Kent, and Scotland – faces a 10% drop from its average of 10,000 tonnes.
This year's extreme weather conditions for blackcurrant growers have been particularly challenging. A wet winter hindered essential pruning and weeding, followed by localised frosts and hail in spring, heatwaves that caused scorching and premature fruit drop in June and July, and inconsistent rainfall leading to smaller berries as the harvest progresses towards its anticipated early August conclusion.
Agronomist Harriet Prosser highlighted the rising frequency of extreme weather events: "Every year seems to break another record. Last year's drought was followed by one of the wettest winters on record, then localised frosts and hail in spring, and now intense summer heat. It has been an exceptionally challenging season for blackcurrant bushes."
The investment will support a collaborative research project with the National Institute of Agricultural Botany (NIAB) at East Malling in Kent, investigating how improving soil health can equip blackcurrant bushes to withstand environmental stress. Researchers will evaluate organic soil amendments such as wool, pasteurised manures, and green waste products to enhance soil organic matter, moisture retention, and nutrient cycling.
Jo Hilditch, chair of the Blackcurrant Foundation trade association and a grower from Herefordshire, underscored the importance of this research: "Ensuring British blackcurrant production thrives for generations to come is crucial." The project aims to identify effective approaches for improving resilience across UK blackcurrant production, assessing their impact on soil health, plant establishment, bush vigour, yield, and berry quality. Farmers are also working with Suntory to develop new blackcurrant varieties that require less cold weather during winter, adapting to global heating trends.