UK: Growers plan revival of tomato industry in Clyde Valley
By April, the first fruits, under their new branding of Clyde Valley Tomatoes, are expected to crop in 14 different varieties They will be hand-picked and hand-packed for sale in Dobbies Garden Centres nationwide, Earthy Foods in Edinburgh, WholeFoods Market in Giffnock, 14 farmshops and the farmers' markets in Edinburgh and Glasgow.
During the 1950s and 1960s, there were hundreds of tomato growers and acres of industrial-sized greenhouses in the Clyde Valley. They produced enough tomatoes to feed the entire country, with enough left over for export but, gradually, cheaper imports from countries across the European Union put all but three Scottish growers out of business.
A former market manager with WholeFoods Market in Giffnock, Mr Craig has signed a three-year lease on the 32-acre site from owners Jim and Liz Craig who ran the family tomato business, J&M Craig, for 40 years before retiring.
Within three months, Mr Craig, 32, managed to secure a £150,000 rescue package for the firm, jointly funded by the Clydesdale Bank, South Lanarkshire Council and specialist growers Scotherbs. He has the option to buy the business in 2015, and by that time, volume is expected to triple along with trade. In its heyday during the 1970s and 1980s, J&M Craig produced 250 tonnes a year.
Jim Craig will stay on board to mentor the new owners as they set out on their venture. It is hoped the cropping season will yield up to 100 tonnes, or 2.5 million tomatoes.
On an initial outlay of £15,000 for the plants, grown in Humberside from seed chosen by Mr Craig, the turnover in the first year is estimated at £300,000.
French and Dutch varieties, including Campari red cocktails, Sungreen tiger stripe, Coeur de Boeuf beef toms, Ardilles medium plum, Lajaune yellow cherry, Claree red cherry, Sunchicola black cherry, will be joined by classic red varieties Encore and Calvano.
The sole Scottish variety is the classic red Ailsa Craig, which Mr Craig is trying to revive by having the weaker plant grafted on to stronger root stock.
Source: www.heraldscotland.com
