Fruit Focus hailed a success as sector looks to innovation, resilience and growth

Niab at Fruit Focus 2026

Fruit Focus has been hailed a major success after visitor and exhibitor numbers exceeded organiser expectations as the event celebrated its 40th anniversary edition on 8 July 2026.

Despite sweltering temperatures of around 30C, the event saw a visitor increase of nearly 10% as growers, suppliers, researchers, agronomists, technology providers and industry leaders came together on the grounds of Bradbourne House, East Malling, Kent. Exhibitor support was also strong seeing a near 25% increase, providing key insights into new technologies and services available to UK fruit growers.

The move to the prestigious new venue was widely praised, with exhibitors and visitors highlighting the quality of the setting, the expanded format and the opportunity to bring the sector together at a critical time for British horticulture.

Scott Raffle, Knowledge Exchange Manager at Niab, said Fruit Focus had again demonstrated its importance as a place where research, practical advice and industry discussion meet.

Sustainability, crop protection and the need to produce more with fewer resources were key themes, particularly within the Niab Research Hours and technical sessions.

Mr Raffle said Niab’s work is focused on helping growers find practical answers to problems they cannot solve alone. “We are researching problems to which the industry requires solutions and to which they can’t find solutions themselves,” he said.

He said there was strong interest in research around pest control, thrips identification, biological control, hoverflies, soil amendments and crop production systems. “Increasingly there is less reliance upon conventional chemistry for pest and disease control, so a lot of what we have been doing is to support alternatives and novel approaches,” he said.

“We have talked a lot today about growing more fruit with less water, less nutrient and less pesticide. Some of that work is in its infancy and some is further down the route, but there is research now at the stage where it can be adopted by growers.”

The mood across the event was positive, with many exhibitors reporting productive conversations around technology, automation, precision growing, sustainable production and post-harvest innovation.