For many years now when asked what has the greatest impact on my business, I have always said politicians and the weather. I’ve then gone on to explain that at least with politicians we can try and influence them (and have some success), whereas the weather is what it is and we have to put up with it, whatever the impact it has on our crops.

The events of the past seven weeks or so and the dry ‘summer’ of April have tested this to the full and on my farm, what was promising to be a reasonable year is now potentially anything but. With over half our average rainfall in the past 7 weeks, crops are decimated as they are over large parts of Great Britain.

Usually I would put up with it and hope that next year gets better. But such are the potential problems over a wide range of crops and over such a large part of GB and Northern Europe that there has to be a realisation that supply chain dynamics have to come into play. Otherwise the future looks bleak for large parts of the edible horticultural industry. The reduction in crop yields coupled with significant cost increases to now plant, grow, harvest and process these crops requires some adjustment in pricing which needs to be shared throughout the supply chain.

To expect British growers to compete on price with imports at this time is not something that will give long term sustainability to the GB supply base and for some sectors, particularly in the processing area, this is now the third difficult season and patience is being stretched to the limit.

If retailers are intent on supporting British growers then now, when the going has got tough, is the time to show their commitment by continuing to buy British.

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