UK carrot growers are pensive ahead of winter despite a strong early season.
Volumes are strong with the season in full swing and demand is set to surge next week when the schools return.
But growers remain worried that straw prices, which continue to increase, could create a difficult situation in the winter as producers look to cover their crops.
Martin Brittain, technical director at Freshgro, told freshinfo: “It will be interesting to see what happens in the winter as straw yields have been low and the cost is going up.”
Early season conditions were difficult with dry weather in the east but heavy irrigation was used and the North West and South East delivered good volumes.
All the supermarkets are stocking British carrots and will do until November and December when southern European sources may be used.
Analyst Mintec reports the price of carrots in Poland has fallen by 21 per cent year-on-year and is currently 15 per cent below the five year-seasonal average for this time of the year.
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