The 2001/02 marketing season for organics has been described as 'difficult', 'challenging' and 'disastrous' by the various packers, wholesalers and growers contacted as part of the Defra funded HDRA/Soil Association project into the organic vegetable market.
During the past two years the area of organic horticultural land has nearly doubled from 2,990 to 5,437 hectares. For a range of 25 vegetables that can be grown commercially in the UK, levels of self-sufficiency are estimated to have risen from 20-30 per cent for all vegetables.
The 2001/02 marketing season was a difficult one because there was oversupply for part of the season for a number of crops - notably potatoes, cabbages and lettuces. Many new growers and packers have risen to the challenge of supplying the organic market by converting land and facilities for organic production.
Unfortunately the resulting increase in UK supply coincided with a slow down in the rate of growth of the organic market and a continued flow of imports.
In the future, UK growers face a more challenging market environment, with predicted lower growth rates and intense competition from high quality and cheaper imports from the European market. Early reports from the 2002 season are indicating that the market is more stable.
No comments yet