It has been one of those rare years when the weather has been kind to UK vegetable growers, giving a boost to a sector that is under pressure.
The early, mild and steady spring, followed by a summer of decent rainfall and further mild temperatures, have meant many crops breaking early season records, with asparagus, courgettes and purple sprouting broccoli standing out. The average temperature levels throughout May, June and July have kept demand for vegetables steady, with many a home swapping their salads and barbecues for Sunday roasts.
“The weather has been a life saver this year,” says onion supplier The Allium Alliance’s Malcolm Gray. “We were all fearful of a hot and dry summer but the rain has saved the overwintered and set UK crop. All we need now are good harvesting conditions and the weather will determine the price we get.”
Despite the uplift in the sector, volume is in slight decline and the industry is firm that it shouldn’t rest on its laurels.
“There have been such a lot of early seasons, but it’s still been a hard market, with a lot of the core veg lines slightly in decline,” says Southern England Farms’ managing director Greville Richards. “But it’s down to the individuals in the industry to boost sales. We will be working to make the most of our Cornish provenance to make a difference.
“Prices are coming through to the growers and have become more realistic, but six to eight months ago prices were unsustainable and an awful lot of brassica growers all over the country would have been looking at going out of business if that had not been addressed. At last, some sustainability has been put back into the brassica market.”
Undoubtedly, inflation throughout the supply chain has been a major factor in the price increases and across the different vegetable products, end consumer prices are up or at least static.
Ironically for the premium-grabbing product, UK asparagus has seen a different situation to the norm, with the early season bringing volume but not value.
“What was interesting and noticeable was the tidal wave that was spring and the good availability that it brought,” says John Chinn of Marks & Spencer supplier Cobrey Farms. “The early promotional work in the supermarkets was around bundles, which have a lower price per kilo than tips or other packaging formats and meant our average selling price dropped by six per cent.
“Normally, the season starts slowly and we get a premium, followed by volume, but this year by the time the volume usually comes the season had cooled and we had already had the flush.”
Asparagus generally finished at the beginning of July, but Chinn will start his reverse season crop late in August - much earlier than last year. The exclusive production for M&S is set to yield 50 tonnes this year, with plans in place to produce five times as much next year.
Another first for early seasons was the courgette crop this year, with full Cornish production going to supermarkets by 1 June from SEF. The company decided to “push the boundaries” by planting in early April, which has resulted in extending the English courgette season by five weeks with a third planting.
“We planted the second planting a lot earlier, which has meant that we have fitted in a third planting that won’t be ready until 1 September,” says Richards. “We usually stop around 1 October but this year we will be supplying them until the end of October and the supermarkets have given us a lot of focus.”
SEF has also experienced its highest yielding year yet for broccoli, producing up to five tonnes an acre rather than the average 3.5t. The season came early and has experienced steady demand.
“We have had a good spring,” says Richards. “Cornwall and Scotland seem to see more rain than Lincolnshire and we don’t get that intense heat being four miles off both the north and south coast.
“Early June cauliflower and broccoli were disappointing because of the dry conditions and we had to hold crop back for 10 days, but the mainstream varieties are offering good quality and volumes.
“We will also be producing asparagus next year - 17-18 days before the Hereford crop.”
UK CARROT INDUSTRY GAINS YEAR-ROUND PRODUCTION BOOST
This year saw the UK import carrots for only a few days to bridge the gap between the old and new seasons. Martin Evans, chairman of the British Carrot Growers’ Association (BCGA), and Produce World’s George Rivers, chairman of the BCGA PR committee, discuss the season with Elizabeth O’Keefe
How early was the carrot season this year?
ME: The UK season started around the beginning of June, which is the normal time. But for the last four to five years, we’ve had slightly late starts that have caused a longer gap in production. It was in 2006 that we last saw a normal summer weather-wise.
Has the start of the season differed throughout the country?
GR: East Anglia has suffered the worst from lack of rainfall, with some counties being given a drought status. Additional irrigation in other parts of the country has been required as we have seen very dry conditions throughout March and April.
ME: Nottinghamshire also suffered a very windy start to the year. This has made it very difficult to establish new crops and we’ve had to re-drill several hundred acres.
What kind of returns have growers seen?
ME: Returns have been good but terribly undermined by production costs. English carrots definitely have a following and consumers notice when there isn’t a UK crop. Imported carrots are higher in price and variable in quality. When British farmers have had to import for longer than a few days to a week, there is a noticeable decrease in sales, so the consumer is definitely aware of the high quality and low priced carrot that they receive from the British crop. Sales are higher than they were this time last year.
Are there any new products/varieties coming up?
GR: A lot of varietal work takes place with the major seed houses every year but this is a slow process. Innovation will come through packaging and promotional activity.
Have there been any supply problems?
ME: Supply has been consistent for the first time in many seasons. The imports were only for a few days and when we don’t have to use imports for longer than a week, there tends not to be a decrease in sales.
Would UK carrot growers consider exporting?
ME:We are always looking for export options. There’s a lot to play for because 20 per cent of the volume is derived from yield. I would predict that we will see carrots being very tight in late summer.
Do you see the crop being grown anywhere different in the future?
ME: If you look at soil maps, new decent size blocks of land with free draining sandy soil are few and far between. The real question here is, will there at some point be a new method of production which frees us from this limitation?
What’s next for the UK carrot industry?
GR: The overall consumption is static at the moment, although the population is growing. A move towards more convenient prepared packs is likely but the economic climate continues to be fragile and the product will struggle to take any price increases.
ME: Consumer habits are becoming snack based. We have to decide to follow that trend or die. This will mean more pre-prepared and packaged carrots in order to keep up with consumer habits. Consumer habits are so fast moving that it is paramount for us to be in touch with them.
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