Farm food spending is not just for Christmas

Farmers are being encouraged to take note of major consumer sales opportunities generated by big calendar events throughout the year, such as Halloween and Bonfire night.

While food and farming businesses already view Christmas as a consumer spending bonanza, a new report by the Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board (AHDB) suggests that smaller celebrations could also create big opportunities for the red meat, potato and dairy sectors.

According to the report, the two weeks before Halloween this year produced a £90.5 million increase in spending on pumpkins, sweets, chocolate and bakery, highlighting a celebrations trend which AHDB says other food sectors could exploit.

“Halloween has really taken off in recent years and there’s a great opportunity for the industry to capitalise on this through new product development or retailer activity to place meat, potatoes and dairy at the heart of the celebrations,” said AHDB retail analyst, Kim Malley, adding that Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day are equally worthy of attention.

“With the right pricing, positioning and packaging we can look to boost our presence in these smaller annual events, instead of solely relying on Christmas and Easter.”