British Pea Success

With supplies of top varieties of marrowfat peas Genki and Sakura, having already sold out for the 2010 season, British growers are demonstrating their ability to meet national and global market opportunities.

James Wallace of Dalton Seeds

Currently about 50,000 tonnes of premium priced UK marrowfat peas are required for the UK and export markets each year resulting in a demand for over 10,000 hectares to be grown. UK growers have responded to this and the demand for marrowfats has reached all time highs according to James Wallace of Daltons Seeds, in Peterborough.

The demand we have seen for the varieties Genki and Sakura, has been incredible. Considering that this is the first year that Sakura has been available, the interest in this high yielding variety has been tremendous. In fact, all available seed for this season has already been taken up through premium buy back contracts to supply the two leading marrowfat processors.

Mr Wallace adds to this that he believes the reason for Sakuras success is based around its good colour retention and texture: making it well suited to the Far East markets where it competes against Canadian peas, and also for the UK premium packet and canned trade.

Supplies of the soft textured and highly flavoured mushy pea variety Genki have also sold out as it meets the quality requirements for the fish shop trade so well, continues Mr Wallace. Also, growers had good experiences with this variety last year; yields were high and nearly all the produce from the 2009 crop was marketed at premium prices before Christmas, so they are happy to put this variety back in.

The uptake of both varieties of Genki and Sakura are without doubt one of the UKs success stories; by bringing about new standards through pea breeding and genetics and improved agronomy, growers are able to meet the market demands for quality marrowfat peas. This has in my opinion raised the benchmark for the industry over the next few years, he says.

To add to this Mr Wallace recommends that growers take note of what has happened this season with the supply of seed for these varieties: start thinking ahead for next season and get your arrangements in place for contracts and buying seed, as soon as possible.

• Genki and Sakura are both varieties of marrowfat peas marketed in the UK through Daltons Seeds

• Dalton Seeds was established in 1952. It has concentrated on producing quality seed and providing a service that is second to none.
• Dalton’s has its own modern seed plant located at Eye near Peterborough. Using the latest in seed cleaning equipment Daltons can process all major crop species and can offer a full range of cereals, pulses and oilseeds.
• Dalton Seeds is the marketing agent for a number of varieties in the UK, not least in the quality pea sector.
• Dalton Seeds also contract process seed for a number of UK and multi-national seed companies.