Mark Price, managing director of Waitrose, has predicted that price inflation of fruit and vegetables will rise further this year.
With 2012 the UK's second wettest year on record, according to the Met Office, Price says that heavy rainfall resulted in many farmers not planting crops for 2013 and predicts this will impact heavily on the prices of fresh produce.
'We’re seeing input food inflation of around three to 3.5 per cent, but we expect it go up to as much as five per cent and in some commodities, such as fresh produce, the increases will be massive,” said Price.
He continued: “The apple crop was down 20 to 30 per cent so apple prices have to go up; you have only seen the tip of the iceberg.'
Waitrose enjoyed record sales over the Christmas period as like-for-like sales rose 5.4 per cent between 18-31 December.
“Our sales for the festive period as a whole have been record-breaking but the 12 trading days leading up to New Year’s Eve were exceptional as customers got ready for family entertaining and parties,' concluded Price.
