Sweetcorn is the latest product to fall victim to inclement weather and weak sterling, as supplies into the UK hit a “tricky” period.
Mark Tate, commercial director at Lincolnshire Field Products, said: “We are halfway through the season in Senegal and it has been difficult. The weather has been cooler than it is normally at this time of year and that has affected both quality and yield, limiting the crop.”
An alternative at this point in the season is the US, but weather and currency issues are also having an impact there. Tate said: “Their crop is not the best they have ever had, but the value of the dollar is making it unaffordable and we are not sourcing sweetcorn from Florida at all at the moment.” The product’s own short supply and an eager domestic market holding up prices mean that sweetcorn from the US has effectively priced itself out of the UK market.
Supply into the UK is “just about” covering demand, another importer admitted, and this is largely because demand has been suppressed.
Tate added: “Spring is not as warm this year as it was last so that is having an impact on demand and from a value point of view, with sweetcorn at £2 a pack, it is not going to sit at the top of everyone’s shopping list.”
Another supplier to the UK market, Greyfriars, echoes these reports. Managing director John Smith said: “Senegalese crops did not fertilise well, so cob numbers fell below expectations. South African crops were adversely affected by high rainfall, there were consequential packout prejudices and the US has had its own serious problems of early year frosts in Florida, which decimated many stands. To add to the pain, exchange rates have gone very badly against us too.
“However, it is important to retain consumer interest and to stand by our supermarket customers who stand by us in the easier months. The fact is we are taking quite a hiding on this at the moment but hope it won’t last too long.”
The situation is leaving importers looking forward eagerly to the start of the Moroccan season in about six weeks’ time.
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