UK: Growers have been supplying the Christmas market for a long time and are very adept at dealing with the pressures

Fresh Cabbage

Published Dec 6, 2023

Tridge summary

UK growers have been facing challenges during this season, with delayed potato harvests and a difficult start for brassicas due to wet weather. The CEO of British Growers, Jack Ward, attributed these issues to climate change's impact on the food supply chain. Ward also expressed concerns about potential shortages in February and March due to increased pre-Christmas buying and low prices that do not reward growers adequately.

Disclaimer: The above summary was generated by a state-of-the-art LLM model and is intended for informational purposes only. It is recommended that readers refer to the original article for more context.

Original content

It has been a very problematic season for UK growers; potatoes that should have been harvested weeks ago are still in the ground. Brassicas such as cauliflower, sprouts, and cabbage had a very bad start to the season with wet weather in July during planting, this was in total contrast to 2022, when it was very hot, up to 40 degrees in some places. “The weather in Spain has also been less than ideal and this combined with an early end to the UK summer brassica season due to heavy rain caused a gap in supply,” said Jack Ward CEO of British Growers. “This is the direct impact of climate change on the food supply chain, not only in the UK but also in Europe and further afield.” Looking to the Christmas vegetable supply Jack said that growers have been supplying the Christmas market for a long time and are very adept at dealing with the pressures. “What doesn’t help is pre-Christmas discounts, which stimulate buying and puts more stress on supply. This may lead to growers harvesting ...

Source: Hortidaily