ONIONS GET FRIED

Heatwave wipes out nearly half UK crop.. and ones left are wonky

SHORTAGE Onion THE extreme weather has wiped out 40% of British onion crops, figures reveal. And many that have survived are smaller and wonkier. The British Onion Producers’ Association said the figure for destroyed crops is worse than the 25% first feared.

A combination of the Beast from the East followed by a scorching summer is being blamed for the poor harvest.

BOPA chairman Tim Elcombe told trade magazine The Grocer: “The prolonged hot and dry period over the summer put onion crops under extreme stress and impacted the growing potential.

“Despite growers’ best efforts to minimise the impact through round-the-clock irrigation, the onion crop has been severely affected.” Supermarkets have relaxed size rules but with an expected shortage across Europe, retailers are having to import from South America and Australia, which will put prices up.

Extreme weather has already led to fears of a shortage of other crops such as potatoes, which are expected to be down 20%. Leek production fell by 23%.