The northern French and UK seasons for exotic lettuce are proving an “unmitigated disaster” according to suppliers in the sector.
A hot and dry June and July slowed growth and the cool, wet weather in August all but stopped it completely. Wind and rain across northern France over the past week has left some growers with little option but to plough their crops back into the fields.
“One of my growers has just ploughed in three fields of frisee and will have nothing to supply for the next two weeks,” said importer Peter Davis of Davis of Louth. “This time of year I normally do eight to 12 pallets a day, but now it one if I am lucky.”
The consequences are sky-high prices for frisee, lollo rosso and oakleaf. Wholesale prices on Wednesday reached 250p a head on UK markets for frisee and even buying prices were at 150-200p when the average for this point in the season is around 57-68p based on last year’s levels.
The UK season is unlikely to recover and many growers in France are in a similar position leaving suppliers to try and source early out of southern France.
“But temperatures in southern France are rising - up to 34°C on Wednesday - and there is a lot of wind which is not good for the product,” said Davis. “I can’t see the situation changing for at least two weeks.”
Apart from growers, those who are suffering most are the packers supplying supermarkets and caterers on an agreed price who are losing money hand over fist.
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