Tuesday was the wettest June day on record in the UK - but far from spelling good news for carrot growers who have been at the mercy of one of the mildest, driest winters for many years, the heavy rainfall has left many producers, especially in the Yorkshire area, struggling to push through enough volumes in time for the weekend.
Guy Poskitt of carrot specialist MH Poskitt says: “Our biggest problem at the moment is that we physically cannot travel to our fields because they are so water-logged. We therefore cannot apply any chemical treatment or weed control. Potentially there is a very good season on the cards, with volumes set to be in line with those of 2006, but at the moment we are focusing on digging channels in our fields to drain off the water. It is really a question of getting the water off the ground before we can do anything else.”
But Poskitt explains that despite this week’s difficulties, he is expecting to have the first volumes from his Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire sites available in time for the weekend, to add to product from Norfolk. “We are potentially looking at some very good crops for this season, but we need sunshine to bulk them up,” he says.
Martin Evans, chairman of the British Carrot Growers’ Association (BCGA), pegs overall UK production in 2007 at around one million tonnes, roughly the same as last year. “Growing conditions have been pretty stressful,” he tells FPJ. “We had a very mild winter and then an extremely wet May and June. If you look at the first half of the year, conditions have been average, but in real periods of ups and downs.”
Even before this week’s downpours, heavy, sporadic rain at the start of last week had also taken its toll on carrot crops in prime production regions, says Evans, detracting from current volumes. However, annual quantities are expected to ride out these peaks and troughs.
Evans, who is also chief executive of vegetable cooperative Freshgro, explains how his firm’s carrot production is largely centred in Nottinghamshire, with additional volumes coming from Yorkshire, Lancashire and Scotland. “No carrot-growing region has been spared the brunt of tough weather conditions over the last few months,” he says. “Climate change is a reality and certainly something we have firmly felt the effects of since the end of last year.”
Unpredictable weather is not the only factor throwing up problems for carrot growers. The trading risks are also mounting. “I must stress that the risks of growing carrots versus the economic benefits are increasing,” says Evans. “Along with extreme weather patterns, fuel and labour costs are on the rise, and these problems are making it difficult for producers to remain viable. Consumption may be increasing, but at the moment there are not really any plans to boost planted area.”
However, the mild winter curbed consumer appetites for carrots. Evans says that no sales records were broken for the vegetable over the last six months. With climate change now a clear and present danger, is this what the future holds for UK growers? “Weather dramatically influences production and sales,” he says. “That said, demand tends to remain fairly stable in the summer and the market should be strong over the coming months.”
With forecasters saying the worst of the weather has now passed, the industry seems confident that sales will pick up accordingly over the next few weeks. Carrots remain a firm UK staple in the veg aisle, and the industry has largely chosen to focus on quality, rather than volume, in a bid to push up sales. “The organic category and prepared produce, along with more innovative lines like Chantenay, are growing in popularity,” says Evans. The UK is becoming a nation of packet-openers, he notes, and the carrot industry must ensure it is not left behind in this respect. “One of our challenges is to make sure that some of the packets being opened contain carrots,” he explains. “Pre-packed volumes are on the up, and the revival of Chantenay is really helping increase consumption.”
Freshgro is the company behind the reintroduction of Chantenay carrots. “We revived the variety seven years ago, transforming it from an ordinary-sized carrot into a mini one,” says Evans. “It has been a real hit with consumers so far. Organic carrots are also rising in popularity, as their quality is so reliable.”
Poskitt explains how his firm is expanding its work in the prepared sector. “Carrots that have been peeled and sliced and turned into batons are very popular with consumers. We have seen growth across the whole carrot category, in retail, wholesale and foodservice,” he says.
Another factor behind the growth trend is the industry’s generic PR campaign. The website, www.britishcarrots.co.uk has been instrumental in uplifting sales and improving the general perception of carrots, which have been the victim of bad press in the past due to consumer concerns over pesticide residues.
“We have been trying to shake off an image which was perpetuated in the 1970s,” says Evans. “One of the problems with carrots is that they are a cheap vegetable, and in the past consumers have therefore not associated them with quality. The prices suggest they are not as good as other veg, but we have worked hard to combat this image by offering chemical-free produce and convenient ideas.
Designing the industry to fit tomorrow’s marketplace is of paramount importance, he continues. “Diets are changing - we want carrots to become more cross-cuisine, and make sure they get into other meal options, including lunchboxes. We have really tried to target kids in the campaign, and the use of cartoon characters like Captain Carrot and Tiny C are ways to get the message across to youngsters. We have also ensured that fresh carrots are available as part of the fruit and vegetable scheme in schools, as we think four- to eight-year-olds are a target audience; if we can capture them, we can also make sure their families get involved.
“The state of the nation’s health is appalling, as recent research has shown, and the fresh produce industry has been naïve about utilising PR resources compared to other food sectors. But we cannot just lecture people - our campaign has to be interesting and attractive for consumers,” Evans adds. “We have had to make our industry image a bit softer, and appearing in magazines has helped us reach out to consumers.”
Around 90 per cent of the carrots eaten in the UK are home-grown,which according to Evans is one of the reasons why the PR campaign has been such a winner. “We can supply UK carrots 11 months a year, and in fact this year for 12 months, depending on the weather. Consumers are appreciative of the fact that this is a very fresh crop, and that the industry is not reliant on imports; for example, Scottish carrots sell very well in Scotland. The vegetable is a very food-mile conscious crop, which is important with the carbon footprint issue becoming so prevalent.”
Poskitt agrees: “Our production is stretched over a number of regions, including Suffolk, Norfolk, Scotland, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire, although the bulk is in Yorkshire. There is plenty of scope in the marketplace for carrots offering local provenance.”
The BCGA comprises 35-40 members, but this covers carrot growers grouped under umbrella organisations. Altogether, Evans estimates there are some 200 producers in the UK. “It is imperative that the industry develops, else we will be stuck in the woods,” he adds. “We have got new strings to our bow now, like graphic design and a user-friendly website. The technology we use in production and harvesting is very innovative, and our PR campaign must follow suit - we have a great message to spread and need to make sure we know exactly how to deliver it.”
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