Blairgowrie blueberry crop given away for charity

THE public have been getting a chance to pick their own blueberries on a Perthshire farm in exchange for a donation to the Macmillan Cancer Support charity.

Blairgowrie soft fruit growers, Melanie and Peter Thomson, decided to give away their 25-ha of blueberries for free as harvesting the fruits was uneconomical.

The farmers said that a shortage of pickers in Scotland and cheaper imports from Peru and South Africa meant the cost of harvesting was more than the projected income.

So, West Haugh farm held a series of open days for the public to come and pick blueberries in exchange for a charity donation – and has so far raised over £7000 for Macmillan Cancer Support.

The family has been growing berries on the farm in Rattray and at another property, Westfield Farm, for more than 100 years, starting out with raspberries and strawberries before diversifying in recent years into blueberries and cherries

In recent years, the farm has been harvesting around 300 tonnes of blueberries, commanding a premium for they were ripe when fewer imports were available. The crop was worth £3m when prices were high – but import competition has pushed the price down to £2m. To pick the fruit, the farm would usually take on around 250 staff members.

Scottish grown blueberries are well suited to the climate, as the plants require a frost to stimulate a bumper crop in summer. However a genetic improvement has been developed which allows plants to thrive without the need for freezing conditions.

This has opened the door to fruit exporting countries such as South Africa and Peru to offer cheaper produce when the Scottish crop typically hit the shelves in September and October.

Unlike strawberries, blueberries can be kept in saleable condition for a number of weeks if chilled which allows product to be shipped as opposed to flown into the UK. Further, the cheaper imports can also be harvested at a fraction of the cost involved in Scotland, due to wages being significantly lower in Africa and South America.

Retailers have been unwilling to pay a premium for Scottish produce as shoppers target bargains during the cost of living squeeze.

The Thomson family said they will now focus on their other fruits, particularly Scottish cherries which look to have a brighter future.