BLUEBERRIES could become Scotland’s next big cash crop if scientists can develop strains strong enough to survive the country’s climate, it is claimed.

Sales of the fruit – dubbed the “grandad of the superfood trend” – grew by more than 15 per cent this year to give total UK sales of £322.1 million.

Most are imported from major producers like Peru, Chile, New Zealand and South Africa.

Now a team at the James Hutton Institute in Dundee is using new plant breeding methods to help produce new forms of the fruit hardy enough to flourish in wet, cold Scotland.

If successful, the project could help Scots fruit growers cash in on increasing demand.

The amount of blueberries grown in Scotland increased by ten per cent in the last year but Julie Graham, leader of the blueberry breeding programme at the institute – which specialises in environmental, crop and food science – says this could soon be small beans.

She said: “Cutting-edge plant breeding technology is enabling the James Hutton Institute to develop new blueberry cultivars. These cultivars, better suited to Scottish conditions, should enable an increase in the home-grown blueberry crop, which will be of benefit to Scottish soft fruit growers.”

Fans of the soft fruit claim it can combat cancer, memory loss, high blood pressure and other conditions, despite limited scientific data to support this.

However, experts from the Rowett Institute for Nutrition and Health at Aberdeen University have shown that drinking a concentrated berry extract significantly lowers glucose levels after eating, findings that – if supported by further long-term research – may contribute to the prevention and management of Type 2 diabetes and boost public health.

Last year the charity Diabetes Scotland said the number of people registered with the condition had reached a record high of 276,000. Only ten per cent of the total had Type 1 diabetes, with most of the remainder diagnosed with Type 2, which is related to diet and lifestyle factors.

The Scottish Government is funding the blueberry project and it is hoped that tackling this condition will reduce the pressure on the health service, preventing patients from developing more serious complications such as blindness, stroke and the need for lower limb amputations.

Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham said: “Blueberries are an increasingly popular fruit in the UK. They are widely considered to have health benefits and of course they count as one of the five a day for fruit and veg.

“Traditionally blueberries are imported to Scotland but this innovative research we are funding is using new technology to develop plants that are more suitable for the Scottish soil and climate as well as helping us to fully understand the health benefits of this fruit.

“Scottish blueberry production is already on the increase and this should help boost local production of this fruit – which is better for the environment and also good news for our economy.”

Packed with vitamin K, which aids blood clotting, as well as vitamin C, fibre, manganese and other antioxidants, blueberries have been linked to lowering the risk of heart attack, though the scientific evidence is inconclusive.

However, Alison Hornby of the British Dietetic Association says consumers should focus on nutritional content. “While research on the health claims of blueberries is inconclusive, they are a fantastic choice as one of your five portions of fruit and vegetables a day,” she said.