Supermarkets are being “dismissive” of the problems caused by recent heatwaves, according to Tim Mudge of the Processed Vegetable Growers’ Association.
Mudge denounced a statement from a Sainsbury’s spokeswoman, which called the crisis “a storm in a vegetable basket”, in a BBC report, branding it as “completely uninformed”.
“It does not show any respect for their supply base,” he said. [The shortage is] a really major concern for us. The thing that’s concerned me is the dismissive attitude of the supermarkets. They only have to look outside of their windows to see how hot it is. We are very concerned about the future.
“We cannot irrigate everything. It’s not possible to do that - the resources are not there; nor are the margins.”
While many of the UK’s vegetables have felt the effects of the heatwave, and the hottest July since 1914, the heat has also been felt in other countries - particularly in eastern Europe. Poland and Hungary are among the worst affected areas, with yields on some crops down by 40 per cent.
Mudge said supermarkets should support UK growers, not simply look for a quick supply-fix: “We like to blow our own trumpet in the UK and we feel we produce the best vegetables they can look for, so why should they burn up thousands of food miles [to import produce during the shortfall]? They need to help us overcome these problems.”
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