Brassica growers in the UK need a reasonable price increase soon to stop the industry disappearing slowly.
“One of these days we should get a penny or two extra a pound,” said Roger Welberry, chairman of the British Sprout Growers Association. “What will happen when we need a new harvester? No one is making enough to reinvest. We do need that penny for our future.”
The major multiples are simply not paying enough to allow growers to invest in their businesses, Welberry warns. He fears for the future of brassicas, and particularly sprout production, in the UK if there is not a change of heart on the part of retailers and a hike in returns to growers. “Smaller farms are already packing up,” he said, “the industry is slowly disappearing.”
But he sounded an optimistic note for crop yields this season as the mild autumn continues. “We want it to stay as mild and open as possible for as long as possible,” said Welberry.
Planting was late for this season’s brassicas due to weather conditions and this is having a knock-on effect.
“Calabrese usually goes in in late July, but growers couldn’t plant then as it was too dry,” he explained. “Then it rained and people were planting like mad, but the delay means that the season is running two to three weeks late. We definitely need this weather for a bit longer to clear the crop - if we had a frost we would lose what’s left.”
Welberry said growers were on top of their crops and that the sprout trade was buoyant and demand, strong. “We have been a bit hand-to-mouth with sprouts,” he explained. “Despite the mild weather they are selling well and there is good demand, especially for sprouts on stalks. Some sprouts are a bit on the small side so we don’t want to have to go too strong on picking as they could really do with two to three weeks more.” With larger sizes and fewer sprouts per lb, growers stand to eke out better returns.
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