"Whilst the season began on time, the mild and wet weather accelerated plant growth as we moved through 2015, so crops originally planned for harvesting this January and February were actually ready in December," explains Matt Jones, Senior Buyer at Reynolds.
The situation was made worse, because the unseasonal weather reduced demand for brassicas, despite the increased popularity of kale in recent years. Given the short-shelf life of the product, an over-supply situation was inevitable.
The legacy of early harvesting is now being seen in the fields and UK supplies are very short. To compound the problem, the wet weather is impacting quality and reports of disease including including mildew and Botrytis are commonplace.
"Until the situation in the fields improve, Dutch and Spanish crops are supplementing British kale, according to Jones. "UK growers are hopeful of a return to some normality around the beginning of March, but much is weather dependent. However, an early finish to the season is highly likely."
Fortunately, demand is still relatively low for the time of year, but a cold snap will place further pressure on available supplies.
For more information:
Andy Weir Reynolds
T: +44 (0)845 6348 260
M: +44 (0)7508 177 077
Email: andy.weir@reynolds-cs.com