Ribena Owner Invests in Blackcurrant Resilience After 2026 Harvest Falls 10% Short

Extreme weather cut the 2026 UK blackcurrant harvest to roughly 9,000 tonnes — 10% below average. With 95% of UK blackcurrants supplying Ribena, owner Suntory Beverage & Food faces direct supply-chain exposure. It is investing £200,000 with Niab and the Blackcurrant Foundation in soil health research, plus £920,000 over five years in climate-resilient breeding at the James Hutton Institute.