The first UK-grown Brussels sprouts of the season hit wholesale markets last week in what is promising to be a very good season for the vegetable.
Roger Welberry of the British Sprout Growers’ Association said: “It is a good job we had a rainy July because May and June were very dry and the sprouts were going blue in the fields. The ground was as hard as a rock and sprouts were looking short in stature, which means they would have been short in weight too.
“But since then, we have had some good rain, which has really got down to the roots. The sprouts are looking really quite well, as long as we can keep on top of the aphids.”
Traditionally the season for UK Brussels sprouts gets going in the first week of September, but with the prospect of some good prices on wholesale markets, some growers have started early.
Welberry said: “It has to be worth your while if you are hand-pulling from the bottom of the stalks and you would want about 700-800p a net for that. But to start supplying one of the multiples you have got to have some big acreage.”
Recent PR material put out by the supermarkets about the popularity of winter veg so far this summer may also be affecting the market. Welberry said: “Shoppers are so fickle these days as they have so much available to them: within 24 hours of the weather changing they can be back into barbecues and salads again.”
Although product quality is looking good at this stage, Welberry estimates that acreage is likely to be down on last season because of pressure on margins.
“Sprouts take an investment of about £1,000 an acre in terms of inputs,” he said. “Growers plant in April-May and it is an investment for the long term as you only get one crop. They can plant broccoli or cauliflower and 10-12 weeks later they have got a crop. They can get two crops in when sprout growers can only get one, so there has to be a good return.”
