According to press reports, producers in region VII and further south must be on the alert for possible botrytis problems because of the excessive humidity.

The storms have been extremely serious in some regions causing human injury and even claiming lives.

Specialist berry importer AFI Direct Sales has been in touch with its Chilean suppliers which report that on raspberries in region VII, flowering had already started when the worst of the storms hit nearly two weeks ago. Damage however, has not been significant and the only problem is likely to be a slight delay to the start of the season and fruit expected in the UK by mid-November.

Redcurrants have been harder hit and volumes are likely to decline by 20 per cent from the region because of strong winds at flowering and fruit set.

Blackberries have been more fortunate with effects forecast to amount to no more than a delay in production from the area by about two weeks with fruit available from week-commencing November 18.

The picture for blueberry production at this stage is more mixed. The central northern area was least hard hit, reports AFI, with harvesting of covered production already underway. Exporters report that if the improved weather conditions hold out, uncovered production should begin harvesting in the first two weeks of November. Fruit size is reported to be excellent.

Weather in the central southern area has been 'unstable' and in general blueberries are setting in relatively small sizes, although still an improvement on last season's sizing.

And in the southern-most blueberry growing areas, the storms damaged some varieties in mid-flowering so that some growers report that damage 'is very evident' with about 10 per cent of flowers lost. The good news is that the later variety Elliot which accounts for about half of production in the area had not yet flowered when the worst of the wind and rain swept in and so has escaped unscathed.

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