Record sun fuels sweet UK strawberries
British strawberry farmers say this year's record-breaking spring sunshine and warm days have yielded the cream of the crop, with a bigger and sweeter harvest than usual. Long periods of sun and cool nights provided 'perfect' conditions for the strawberry harvest, according to James Miller from WB Chambers Farms. The dry and pleasant weather also boosted insect pollination, which further improves the quality and shape of the berries, Miller explained. 'They're bigger and sweeter this year than we've seen in previous years,' said Miller, the commercial director for one of the country's biggest berry producers.
At one farm near Dartford in Kent, southeast England, rows of strawberry plants drooped with the weight of the gleaming red fruit housed in insulating polytunnels. As farmhands made their way meticulously down the semi-circular white tunnels, punnets were filled with ripe strawberries—some the size of small fists. The weather has resulted in 'super berry size and super flavour,' said Nick Marston, chairman of British Berry Growers, which represents most of the UK's soft fruit farms. 'I've been in the berry industry for 30 years and this is one of the best springs I've ever seen, in terms of both the weather and also the crop,' Marston told AFP.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Qatar Tribune
4 hours ago
- Qatar Tribune
Switzerland's president rushes to Washington in effort to avert steep United States tariffs
Agencies Switzerland's president and other top officials were traveling to Washington on Tuesday in a hastily arranged trip aimed at striking a deal with the Trump administration over steep U.S. tariffs that have cast a pall over Swiss industries like chocolates, machinery and watchmaking. President Karin Keller-Sutter was leading the delegation after last week's announcement that exports of Swiss goods to the U.S. will face a whopping 39% percent tariff starting Thursday — a move that took many Swiss business leaders by rate is over 2 1/2 times higher than the one on European Union goods exported to the U.S. and nearly four times higher than on British exports to the U.S. It's also more than the 31% that Switzerland had been set to face when U.S. President Donald Trump announced his 'Liberation Day' tariffs on products from dozens of countries in early Swiss government said the trip was 'to facilitate meetings with the U.S. authorities at short notice and hold talks with a view to improving the tariff situation for Switzerland.' Keller-Sutter, who also serves as Switzerland's finance minister, has faced criticism in Swiss media over a last-ditch call with Trump before a U.S. deadline on tariffs expired Aug. 1. She was leading a team that included Economy Minister Guy an interview with CNBC on Tuesday, Trump alluded to the call, saying 'the woman was nice, but she didn't want to listen' and that he had told her: 'We have a $41 billion deficit with you, Madame ... and you want to pay 1% tariffs.' 'I said, 'you're not going to pay 1%,'' he added. It was not immediately clear where that $41 billion figure came from. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the United States ran a $38.3 billion trade imbalance on goods last year with Switzerland. Swiss officials have argued that American goods face virtually zero tariffs in Switzerland, and the Swiss government says the wealthy Alpine country is the sixth-biggest foreign investor in the United States and the leading investor in research and development. 'It's hard to negotiate when you're dealing with someone as unpredictable as Donald Trump,' said Ivan Slatkine, head of the Federation of Romandie Enterprises, which groups companies in French-speaking Switzerland. He expressed concern that Swiss goods could become less competitive to rival products from the neighboring EU. 'We had a (Swiss) government that gave the impression the deal was done, it only awaited a signature from the president,' he said by phone. 'We have the impression that we were punished, but we don't know why.' Switzerland's powerful pharmaceutical industry -- which promised tens of billions of investments in the United States in recent months amid the tariff worries -- is exempt from the 39% rate.
Qatar Tribune
3 days ago
- Qatar Tribune
Nintendo quarterly revenue surges thanks to Switch 2 sales
Agencies Nintendo on Friday said quarterly revenue had more than doubled year-on-year thanks to the Switch 2, which became the world's fastest-selling console after its launch in early June. Pent-up demand for the new gadget from the 'Super Mario' gamemaker fueled fan excitement at the release that saw sold-out pre-orders and midnight store openings. Like the hugely popular original Switch, the Switch 2 is a hybrid console that can be handheld or connected to a television, with a bigger screen and more processing power than its predecessor. It smashed industry records by selling 3.5 million units in its first four days, and Nintendo said Friday that the figure had increased to 5.8 million units by the end of June. 'Net sales increased significantly in the first quarter, due mainly to the launch of Nintendo Switch 2,' the Japanese company said as it reported a 132 percent on-year jump in sales for April-June, to 572 billion yen ($3.8 billion). Net profit in the quarter rose 19 percent on-year. However, a challenge for Nintendo will be maintaining a supply of hit games for the new system, gaming industry consultant Serkan Toto told AFP. 'There are new games from the Pokemon, Metroid and Kirby franchises coming later this year, but some fans have already started to ask for even more titles,' he said. But 'the launch of Switch 2 has surpassed many people's expectations' and it will be hard for another console to match its strong start, Toto added. 'Nintendo should be able to comfortably ride on this momentum through the holidays and into 2026,' he predicted. The company expects to sell 15 million Switch 2 units by the end of March 2026 -- a target it left unchanged on Friday. Nathan Naidu of Bloomberg Intelligence said Nintendo was 'likely' to hike this number, having already sold 40 percent of the target. The Switch 2 launch positions the company 'for a major comeback after four straight years of lacklustre top-line momentum... barring punishing US tariffs that might prompt Nintendo to hike hardware prices', he wrote Friday. While Nintendo is diversifying into hit movies and theme parks, consoles remain at the core of its business. The original Switch soared in popularity during the pandemic with games such as 'Animal Crossing' striking a chord during long lockdowns worldwide.
Qatar Tribune
5 days ago
- Qatar Tribune
Laos braced for blow of Donald Trump tariff threat
Agencies Hawking clothes outside the garment factory where her daughter toils inside, a Laos vendor weighs US President Donald Trump's threat of trade tariffs that may soon snarl both their livelihoods. 'I just live day by day. For now, I still have my business, and the factory is operating as usual,' she told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity in the capital Vientiane. 'I'm not too worried about my daughter's job yet,' she added. Then again, she says: 'I don't know anything about what the US will decide.' Landlocked Laos -- a country of only eight million -- has a gloomy outlook as it counts down to a Friday deadline when Trump says a 40 per cent levy will kick in unless a trade deal is sealed. The rate is among the highest Trump has touted in his global tariff blitz, which has yielded a handful of deals with countries including Britain, Japan and Vietnam but left dozens others scrambling for a pact. Laos has limited exports, little leverage and supply chains deeply entwined with US trade rival China. The United States had a trade deficit of more than $760 million with Laos last year -- singling it out for steep tolls alongside other nations Trump sees as imbalanced business partners. 'A 40 percent tariff is just a nail in the coffin for any industry trying to ship to the United States,' said John F. Somers, head of garment manufacturing firm Diep Vu Co. Only a handful of factories, mostly in the capital, supply the US market and sales make up only between three and six percent of the country's gross domestic product. But with the Southeast Asian country already suffering from high inflation and a severe labour shortage, Trump's default tariff could still have a devastating effect, industry insiders say. 'We estimate about 20,000 workers or more could be impacted,' said Xaybandith Rasphone, head of the Association of the Lao Garment Industry. 'We're not certain about the exact number yet, but it could easily be higher if companies shut down,' said Xaybandith, who is also vice-president of the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LNCCI). He warned between 35 and 40 factories could be affected if buyers are spooked by the tariffs. 'If the tariff stays in place, some factories will definitely close,' he said. 'Finding alternative markets takes time, negotiations and a lot of effort. It could take years.' Like neighbouring Cambodia and Vietnam, Laos is a hub of the garment industry -- producing brands for western markets including Dr. Martens. But the production of mattresses, silicone products and solar panels also stands to be impacted. Solar panel manufacturing has exploded in Laos since 2023 and driven up its export figures after Trump hit China with a 50 percent tariff on the renewable power sources. However the US trade offensive has focussed on 'transshipment' -- a practice it alleges some countries use to help China dodge American tariffs by repackaging its goods for American markets. Casey Tolzman, head of the Lao-American Business Association (LABA), said the explosion of Laos' solar industry had likely been 'a cause for suspicion' in Washington. Rules governing the source of materials and the level of Laotian labour required to define products as domestically produced may prove the country's biggest bargaining chip. 'A big question for countries like Cambodia and Laos is what they can offer the US that's attractive enough to reach a deal,' Tolzman said. 'Any deal would probably need to see Laos enforce stricter rules on transshipment and country of origin, to ensure products aren't just coming from China and getting a Laos label slapped on.' The US may also ask Vientiane to crack down on internet scam centres targeting wealthy Americans from compounds in Laos, or seek concessions for American goods to enter the market, he added. The LABA and LNCCI say they are helping the government draft an appeal asking for tariffs to drop back to previous levels, or at least be capped at 20 percent. But Diep Vu Co boss Somers warns even if Laos manages to reach a deal with Washington, a bigger test soon lies is on track to graduate from 'Least Developed Country' status next year, meaning it is set to lose duty-free access to the European Union -- dealing another blow. 'We'll be at a competitive disadvantage, our industry will probably collapse within a few years,' Somers warned.
