Heatwave to push up fruit and veg prices
Farmers say heatwave has led to lower yields
SHOPPERS face price increases on fruit and vegetables as crop yields are dwindling in the heatwave, worried farmers have warned.
Staples such as potatoes, cauliflower and cabbage are all being hit by the current extended dry spell.
It’s believed price hikes could be seen as early as next week. ‘You’re definitely going to see price rises. Either that or pack sizes will reduce to reflect the smaller crop,’ the Irish Farmers’ Association said.
As fears for livestock welfare continue amid the searing heat, the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association also warned similar price rises are likely in the dairy industry, as farmers are struggling to keep their animals hydrated.
THE price of fruit and vegetables could begin to rise as soon as next week due to crop shortages caused by the blistering heat, farmers have warned.
Consumers could see the price increase on day-to-day items such as potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage due to the ongoing dry conditions.
The chairman of the Irish Farmers’ Association horticulture committee, Paul Brophy, warned that a lack of rain has caused poor conditions – resulting in lower yields, which are likely to affect prices and supplies in stores.
The chairman said that shortages and price increases are likely to come into effect from next week as the heatwave continues.
‘You’re definitely going to see price rises. Either that or pack sizes will reduce to reflect the smaller crop,’ he said.
In the case of products being sold in smaller portions, the chairman said that the produce was likely to maintain the price of the usual larger quantity.
Mr Brophy, who farms broccoli, said his farm is currently producing just half of its usual yield and that this was the case across the board for farmers producing vegetables such as potatoes, cauliflower, cabbage and courgettes.
He added that any attempts to ease the shortfall by importing foreign vegetables were unlikely to prevent the predicted shortages and price increases.
‘If it comes from overseas it will definitely push up prices because you are having this shortage in the UK as well and product [price] is rising weekly,’ he said.
Mr Brophy warned that the longer current conditions persist, the longer it will take for supplies to return to normal as the soil struggles to improve.
‘We have a soil moisture deficit of 90mm – that’s three to four days of heavy rain,’ he said, adding that while rainfall now might ease the burden in a few weeks’ time, it would do little to prevent problems over the next fortnight.
The president of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association, Pat McCormack, said that similar price hikes were likely in the dairy industry. Mr McCormack said that farmers’ stress levels were ‘as high as the thermometers’ as they struggle to find water for their herds.
He said that it was almost certain that milk production for June and July would be down, which could lead to an increase in dairy prices.
The organisation added that current conditions coupled with the recent fodder crisis have left farmers in a difficult situation.
‘The reality is that liquid milk is a very tight-margin business and the highly unusual weather conditions of the last year have added considerably to costs – not only to liquidmilk producers but across all sectors of agriculture,’ he added.
A dairy cow requires 120 litres of water each day, and given the large herd sizes in this country, getting access to such large quantities of water during the heatwave is proving difficult.
The Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA) also said that the hot weather was negatively affecting animal welfare and the financial side of farming.
ICSA chairman John Brooks said that the hot conditions had affected access to water and fresh grass in parts of the country.
Mr Brooks said that sheep short on food and experiencing heat
stress would lose weight, resulting in a financial loss for the farmers.
The hot conditions have also threatened the health of the flock as hot conditions give rise to increased incidences of the parasite fly strike which can prove fatal. ‘It’s a fly that lays its eggs on sheep’s wool and they are particularly numerous during good weather, and they in turn then hatch out into larvae and the larvae will feed off the sheep or attack the sheep,’ he explained.
He added said that once the weather breaks, farmers must begin to prepare to prevent another fodder shortage next year. ‘We would be encouraging all drystock farmers and sheep farmers to, when the weather breaks, try and close up some areas to make extra round bales in September to make plans to avoid fodder shortages next winter as well,’ he said.
Supermarket chains that could feel the brunt of the shortage next week have said that they are making preparations. A Lidl spokesman said the chain would continue to monitor the situation to ‘ensure availability’ for customers at the best prices possible. Tesco said the hot weather had brought with it an increase in demand for products including fruit and veg.
‘We’re working with our suppliers and our supply-chain teams to ensure that customers have the best possible access to the products they know and love, or alternatives where possible,’ a spokeswoman for Tesco said.
The country has been basking in the hot weather for two weeks now with no end in sight as conditions are expected to persist into next week. If there is no rain today, it will officially be a drought, as it takes 15 days without rainfall for it to be classified as such.
Meanwhile, the HSE are warning people to take extra care when preparing food during the current heatwave, as the number of E coli cases reported over the past 10 days is three times higher than this time last year.
It was confirmed yesterday that in just over a week, there have been 96 cases of the virus, which can cause food poisoning.
‘We’re working with our suppliers’