Small the trimmings

Fears of Christmas veg shortage

THREAT Christmas feast YOUR Christmas dinner is under threat from a shortage of essential trimmings like potatoes and parsnips.

Extreme weather has driven crop yields down 23% – and the veg that does make it on to the plate will be “smaller and uglier”.

The “Beast from the East” freeze, a wet spring and then the hottest summer on record contributed to the problem. all

The weather had been “absolutely the antithesis of what a plant needs to grow properly,” said Jack Ward of the British Growers Association.

One parsnip grower warned: “Everybody tries to play it down but there will be a shortage.”

The Leek Growers Association said similar issues in Europe meant it was unlikely we could import veg to beat shortfalls.

Rob Clayton of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board said stores would end up with smaller and mis-shaped veg.

“We’re not going to see empty shelves but what’s on those shelves might look a little different,” he said.

But there was better news for Halloween– Tesco says there’s been a bumper pumpkin harvest.