Heavy rain this summer has made apple growing difficult in the Midlands

Growers of apples have predicted that the 2012 UK apple crop will not be as fruitful as last year's due to a summer of heavy rain.

Orchards growing Braeburn and Cox apples in the Midlands are among the hardest hit.

Paul Dunsby's crop will be nearly 75% down this year.

In 2011 the apple production in the UK was 226,000 tonnes, this year growers believe the crop will be down almost a fifth on last year with a forecast of 188,000 tonnes produced.

This season's forecasted production is 17% lower than last year for apples. The cold and wet weather reduced insect activity at the time of flowering in early May which lead to poor pollination and low fruit set.