Sizzling summer is bad news for bacon and other food prices

THE heatwave could lead to rise in the price of bacon because hot weather has hampered the fertility of pigs, a new report suggests.

Research found that the soaring temperatures have had such an impact on food prices that the average household food bill will rise by £7.15.

Overall, consumers will pay an extra £45 million a week as poor harvests push up the cost of fruit and vegetables. The wholesale price of onions has risen by 41 per cent, carrots by 80 per cent, lettuce by 61 per cent and strawberries 28 per cent.

The heat has also led to reduced fertility in pigs, contributing to a rise of 8 per cent in piglet prices. In hot weather sows eat less, leading to poor condition, while heat stress prevents eggs from being released and leads to smaller litters when females do conceive.

Christian Jaccarini, senior economist at the Centre for Economic and Business Research (CEBR), which carried out the research, said: “With the wholesale price of many crops already rising very significantly and meat prices set to climb it seems likely that wholefood prices will rise at least 5 per cent.

“CEBR estimates that the extreme weather will ultimately drive up the costs to UK consumers by £45 million per week. This is equivalent to a rise of £7.15 per month per household.”

Dairy production also suffered until recently, registering 11 consecutive weekly falls as the hot weather hampered grass growth.

This has resulted in the farm gate price of butter rising 24 per cent since March. Even when grass growth returns to normal, the reduced grazing this year will have a lasting impact.

Much of the UK’S grain – used to feed livestock as well as for numerous food products – is imported from Europe, which has also experienced record high temperatures this year. The wheat harvest is forecast to be down by 5 per cent this year.

“The price spikes can take 18 months to fully feed through into inflation,” added Mr Jaccarini. “So, while the worst of heat may have passed, the cost to consumers looks set to climb.”

The Office for National Statistics has already recorded a slump in overall retail sales this summer as the hot weather kept people away from the high street.

However, the economy is likely to be boosted by staycations, and people stocking up on hot weather items such as barbecues, summer clothing and sunscreen.

£45m

Weekly rise for consumers as poor harvests push up the cost of fruit and vegetables