Extreme weather leads to a rise in cost of food

BRITISH CONSUMERS are facing a hike in food prices of at least five per cent as a result of extreme weather this year, economists warn.

Extended spells of frigid and baking weather seen during the winter and summer will likely increase household food bills by an estimated £7.15 a month, the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) says.

The cold snap brought on by the Beast from the East has already been blamed for a slump in the economy at the start of the year, while some industries were adversely affected by heatwave conditions over the summer.

The Cebr said domestic food production has been hit by weather extremes that have put “particular stress on farming costs and yields”.

Between March and July, the wholesale “farm gate” prices of some staples rocketed by up to 80 per cent.

The price of wheat for bread rose by a fifth, strawberries by 28 per cent, carrots by 41 per cent and lettuce by 61 per cent.

The farm gate price of carrots rose by 80 per cent, according to European Commission figures used by the economists.

The Cebr said: “Summer 2018 has been one of the warmest in living memory, with above average temperatures recorded since April and dry spells lasting more than 50 days in parts of the country.

“While this has made Britain’s weather more conducive to barbecuing, it looks set to raise the price of the food on the grill and the drink in hand.”

The group says that wheat is a particular concern due to the nation’s appetite for derived products.

Much of the UK’s grain is imported from Europe, where record-breaking weather has also hit production, with the harvest expected to be 5 per cent down in 2018.

The impact of the extreme weather is not limited to arable produce, with domestic dairy yields also hit.