Demand for Brussels sprouts has tailed right off after a successful Christmas trading period, leaving growers puzzled.
Roger Welberry of the British Sprout Growers’ Association said: “We had a good Christmas with plenty of demand. Things have gone very quiet now though, and I don’t know why.”
He reported prices of £50 a tonne for a crop that has only been yielding four to five tonnes an acre, compared to eight tonnes an acre last season. “Of course the stronger pricing helps towards our increased costs, but now we are into this lull,” Welberry added. “It could be because the Dutch are sending plenty of product over, but I don’t know.”
Dutch marketing group The Greenery reports a similar situation, however. “Pre-Christmas sales of Brussels sprouts were at a normal level,” said a spokesman for the firm. “We had some cold weather which stimulated consumption of this typical winter vegetable, but warmer weather after Christmas has had a detrimental influence on sales, so sales in January have been worse than before Christmas, both in the Netherlands and in the UK.”
Welberry said that growers in the UK are likely to have supplies available into March, as will the Dutch. “We have had no problems with production and will have product available until the end of the season in March,” said a spokesman at The Greenery. “Prices will continue to reflect demand, which is mainly influenced by the weather. The weather is relatively warm for this time of year, so demand is low and prices are therefore lower than usual. Consumption, demand and prices will only increase when temperatures drop.”
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