Leading soft-fruit marketing group KG Fruits reports it is at peak production with ample supplies being met by strong consumer uptake. Deep-strawed Elsanta and Florence and Symphony are all on stream together from south-east England, East Anglia and the West Country while tunnel and maincrop Elsanta from Scottish growers is also being marketed.

'We are about 1,000 tonnes up year on year and volumes will be maintained throughout Wimbledon and into July,' explained KG managing director Nick Marston. 'We cannot see any gaps or shortages on the horizon. Everbearer and 60-day plants are well established and will dovetail nicely as maincrop availability tails off.' Gloomy weather earlier in June slowed production and unusually, volumes levelled off for a week with supplies in the week of June 9 at the same level as the previous week. The situation improved dramatically last week as temperatures rose and the season reached its peak. 'By the start of this week, we had marketed some 3,000 tonnes to the supermarkets compared to 1,960t at the same time last year,' reported Marston.

At AFI Direct Sales, which imports as well as marketing UK soft fruit, reports are for steady volumes throughout Wimbledon fortnight. 'Maincrop Elsanta is now over its peak,' said a spokesman. 'Deep straw crop and later varieties are coming into play. Elsanta is still being picked in Scotland, while our English sources are starting to turn to Symphony.' The company also reports that it will be bringing in additional fruit from elsewhere in Europe to meet demand during Wimbledon and that prices across the Channel have risen as a result.