Britons to have fewer vegetables on plates
London — Already reeling from the biggest rise in food prices since 1977, Britons may have to get used to shortages of fresh vegetables, as soaring costs and unpredictable weather hit domestic production.
UK shoppers have faced a shortage of tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers in recent weeks after disrupted harvests in North Africa reduced supply, while inflation forced industry buyers to spend more for less from markets such as Spain.
Tax office data shows that Britain imported 266,273 tonnes of vegetables in January 2023, which is the smallest amount in January since 2010, when the population was about 7% lower than it is now.
Compounding matters, UK production of salad ingredients is expected to reach a record low in 2023, as costly energy deters local producers from planting crops in greenhouses.
The tight conditions have helped to push food-price inflation to the highest in almost 50 years. Data from market researcher Kantar on Tuesday shows UK grocery price inflation hit 17.5% in the four weeks to March 19, underscoring the problem for policymakers.
Many UK food retailers are buying less, knowing their customers cannot afford to spend as much as previously.
Jack Ward, CEO of the British Growers Association, said there was now a question mark over the future of the UK’s fresh food producers.
“There’s a limit to how long growers can carry on producing stuff at a loss,” Ward said.
Growers, farming unions and shop owners have warned of more shortages, possibly spreading to other home-grown crops, including leeks, cauliflowers and carrots because of summer drought and winter frosts.
In March, the UK typically imports about 95% of its tomatoes, but that drops to 40% in June through to September.
The warnings come after supermarkets were forced to ration egg sales in late 2022, while the cost squeeze extends to poultry and pig farmers, prompting many of them to quit the industry.
Apple and pear growers have also said not enough trees are being planted to maintain orchards.
While the government and supermarkets say they are confident about supply, the salad crisis has shone a light on the precarious state of Britain’s fresh produce industry.
Lee Stiles, secretary of the Lea Valley Growers Association, whose members produce about three-quarters of the UK’s cucumber and sweet pepper crop, said that about half of them had still not done so by March, while 10% had stopped trading in 2022.
EMPTY SHELVES
“There are risks that empty shelves may become more commonplace,” said Minette Batters, president of the National Farmers’ Union.
The union, which expects 2023 UK production of salad ingredients to be the lowest since records began in 1985, has warned for months about the danger of excluding horticulture from a government scheme that provides help to companies struggling with energy costs.
Ward said margins in fresh produce were traditionally about 1%-2%, but they have turned negative in 2023 due to high energy, fuel and labour costs.
For many retailers, the ability to avoid shortages will depend on how they fare in sourcing produce overseas.
That can be complicated by UK supermarkets’ practice of setting prices for the entire season, while their rivals in the UE are more flexible, said one grower, who also imports and packs goods.
Britain’s departure from the EU has also played a part, with more paperwork discouraging drivers from going to the UK, which could also explain why supermarkets in Europe remain generally well stocked.