Farm ships 1.5m strawberry punnets in bumper crop

A Surrey strawberry farm says it has already sold almost 1.5 million punnets of the fruit so far this spring, citing the mild weather for the bumper crop.

Tuesley Farm near Godalming says sun, warm days and cold nights have been perfect for growing the soft fruits, adding that it expects to sell a million punnets of strawberries per week by the peak season.

But Jim Floor, managing director of the farm, also said the business had been hit by price rises caused by the war in Iran, which has pushed supply prices up by up to 15%

Floor told BBC Radio Surrey: "The sunshine we have had has been perfect for growing strawberries."

He said: "We have to make sure that they don't get too hot or too cold, and that they get everything they need."

When asked how he likes to enjoy his strawberries, Floor said he preferred them with a "glass of champagne" and "without cream".

Floor also said there had been some "big price increases" in recent weeks due to the Iran war, including diesel prices and the price of plastic for its containers.

Tuesley has roughly 26 hectares (64.2 acres) of strawberry plants, but also 15 hectares (37 acres) of raspberries and 170 hectares (420 acres) of blueberries, he added.

The farm hopes to increase its blueberry supply in coming years in a bid to capitalise on increased demand for soft fruit and healthy eating, Floor said.

Warmer springs can be linked to climate change, with April 2025 proving to be the sunniest on record in the UK, according to the Met Office.

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