Fourayes has invested over £100,000 in a new 12-acre Bramley apple orchard using a close planting system that will double the yield.
The investment comes after a four-year experiment of close planting a smaller orchard, where trees are now maturing.
Each tree is attached to a stake and will be trained to grow upwards rather than outwards. As well as increasing the orchard’s yield, the new system will make pruning and harvesting easier.
Fourayes said it produced 1,000t of Bramley during 2014, and expects a “substantial” increase from the 2015 crop.
“It is a heavy investment but we know it will pay off,” said Fourayes’ managing director, Phil Acock. “We will be able to use mechanical pruning in the new orchard, which will save money, and we also know we will getting a bigger yield once the trees mature.”
The ground for the trees has been prepared using ‘mole drainage’, which uses tunnels dug into the ground to prevent flooding
Planting began at the end of last year and will continue through January.
Accounts
Meanwhile, Fourayes' latest financial accounts have been posted at Companies House.
For the year ending 31 March 2014, the firm saw its pre-tax profit drop from £655,751 to £571,033, while turnover rose from £11.9 million to £12.2m.
No comments yet