In the latest development of what has been a sensational year for fruit and berries, the apple harvest in the UK has started a month earlier than usual. 2010’s cold winter, followed by a long, hot spring this year, were ideal for fruit trees and berry bushes. image expired

Though many crops have been bountiful this year, inefficiencies in the supply chain have dogged producers. Whilst soft fruits saw a strong harvest earlier in the year, growers, whose input costs have risen dramatically this year, could not afford to supply supermarkets, and were undercut by producers from elsewhere. As a result some fruits were left to rot on trees while other languished in cold storage without a buyer.

Similarly, 2011 brought a bumper pea crop, but in Yorkshire and the East peas were ploughed into the ground after, when the buyer most growers supply, Birds Eye, had reached its quota, farmers were left with a surplus of peas. Although some had time to dry the peas for birdseed, most were wasted as green manure.

40 per cent of Britons struggle to identify British apples

The apple harvest began on the 1st September and will see 200,000 tonnes of apples picked over the coming 8 weeks, of which almost half will go to make cider. With the abundant harvest comes news of a new guide to help UK consumers identify with their apple heritage and increase consumption of UK varieties after a survey conducted for the National Trust revealed two fifths of Britons find it difficult to pick out British varieties of apple.

While over half of the 2,000 people polled said they eat apples each week, the survey discovered some widespread gaps in knowledge. Although 61 per cent of respondents could identify the Cox Orange Pippin as a UK variety, less than 31 per cent knew Egremont Russet was British.

Furthermore, 61 per cent of people mistakenly identified Granny Smiths as British, though they originate from Australia, and another 23 per cent thought Pink Lady was a UK variety. 41per cent of those questioned admitted they found it difficult to identify which were UK apples when buying fruit.

In response the National Trust has launched a guide which encourages people to buy more British apples, in an effort to preserve traditional varieties. The How To Eat An Apple guide includes a calendar so consumers can make the most of the British apple harvest.

Dame Fiona Reynolds, director general at the National Trust, said consumer habits must change, for the sake of sustainability as much as supporting British producers, "British apples are now being harvested and we're spoilt for choice with local flavours. We need more people to choose British and help protect our orchards – 70 per cent of apples bought in the UK are imported and this must change."