§ Lord Harrisonasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many of the 6,000 varieties of apples registered in national apple lists are still available in British supermarkets; and what percentage of apples sold in British supermarkets are British-sourced. [HL2400]
§ Lord WhittyThere is no definitive list of the number of apple varieties that exist as they, along with other fruit, are not subject to National Listing. However, over 2,000 varieties of apple are held in the National Fruit Collection at Brogdale. Only a few of these varieties are of commercial significance and regularly appear on supermarket shelves, though other less common varieties are sold periodically by some outlets who wish to offer their customers a wider choice. We estimate that, by quantity, about 30 per cent of the total supply of apples in the UK is home produced.