Kentish peaches could be the norm by the end of this century

Kentish peaches could be the norm by the end of this century

A report in The Times predicts that the garden of England will move to Scotland long before the end of the century, while Kent will become a stonefruit haven.

The report reads: “By 2080 the glens and fields of Angus and Perthshire will be the main source of apples, pears, cherries and blackcurrants instead of the orchards of Kent.

“Yorkshire, Sunderland and other parts of northern England may also benefit from hotter summers and milder winters brought about by climate change.

“The Kentish fields, however, will resemble the countryside of the southern Mediterranean and California and will become renowned for orchards of apricots, peaches and nectarines.

“This forecast for the future of fruit growing was presented last week by the government’s horticultural experts to Margaret Beckett, rural affairs secretary.

“Researchers have confirmed what growers have suspected for years - milder winters have reduced fruit yields.

“The Horticultural Research Institute at East Malling in Kent predicts that winter chill - vital for fruit growing - is set to decline by 31 per cent in Kent.

“If carbon emissions are not reduced, scientists predict even greater discrepancies in climate with winter chill down by as much as 60 per cent in Kent and just 11 per cent in Tayside. This could mean a quarter of production in Kent would be lost by the middle to end of the century.

“Some growers are experimenting with new crops. Ian Johnston, of the Highland Investment Company based near Canterbury, is the first to plant apricot trees in Kent commercially and this year his yield reached six tonnes. Mr Johnston said the fruit had a slightly tougher skin than a continental variety but its texture and flavour were excellent and the crop had been sold to Sainsbury’s.

“He said: “We’ve been thinking about climate change for some time, which was why we started with apricots. In five or ten years we might easily try peaches and nectarines.”

“Chris Alhusen, a blackcurrant grower from Bradenham, Norfolk, said: “We know climate change is going to happen and we’ve got to start testing new varieties now. It will take 30 years to grow a new blackcurrant.”