BCGA member Fresh Growers Ltd has reported that carrot crops in France have suffered frost damage as temperatures have fallen recently to as low as -17°C. 'Some fields have been written off and have as little as 25 per cent of the crop of marketable quality,' said a BCGA spokesman.
Product from seeds that were drilled in France in November and December will also be affected. Growers are therefore expecting very low yields from new season crops, which are due to come on stream in late May. 'We are facing a situation of continuing shortage which could get worse and go on into the summer,' said the spokesman.
Overwintering crop in the UK is threatened by frost and disease with agronomists urging growers to check carrot storage health before its is too late.
A shortage of straw and recent hard frosts have combined in many key carrot-growing areas in the UK to reduce volumes of overwintering crop and delay drilling of new seed for the summer crop.
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