Somerset apple growers face trouble after fantastic crop

Somerset is renowned for many things, among them growing apples and this year there's been a fantastic crop, one of the best ever.

It's been so good that some of the big cider producers won't be able to buy in what farmers produce and some apples will have to be rolled into the ground to rot.

The 180 acres of orchards below Burrow Hill are groaning, branches are even splitting under the weight of Somerset Red Streaks, Kingston Blacks and Dabinetts.

They've just started harvesting and expect about 1000 tonnes.

However at Burrow Hill every apple will fulfil its destiny. Cider only lasts about 18 months but they also make Somerset Cider Brandy, And can distill excess juice and keep it for twenty years.

A sunny near perfect spring and a wet warm summer produces fat, heavy apples.

Charlton Orchard near Taunton grows eating apples. Because they sell their apples to loyal customers at local markets they can sell everything they grow.

For some cider apple farmers there are even more clouds on the horizon, the big cider companies are marketing sweet fruit ciders sometimes using imported dessert apple pulp.

It means demand for the traditional cider apple is falling.

Overproduction and decreasing demand could leave a bitter taste in many Somerset orchards.