Berry tough: Ribena seeks to make hardier blackcurrants to beat extreme weather

The Guardian reports that Ribena's owner is investing two hundred thousand pounds to develop hardier blackcurrant bushes in response to this year's challenging harvest season. A wet winter, spring frosts, hail, and then heatwaves have reduced the UK harvest by about ten percent below the historical average of ten thousand tonnes. The strain affects Ribena's major growing regions—East Anglia, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Kent, and Scotland. With climate change intensifying extreme weather patterns, the company is betting that breeding more resilient berries is a more practical long-term strategy than hoping for milder conditions.

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