As the UK enjoys one of the hottest summers for many years the challenges for the fruit and vegetable growers are becoming apparent. After a late start due to the bitterly cold and wet spring, temperatures soared during June and July and look set, for the moment at least, to continue into August.
Jack Ward, Cheif Executive of the British Growers Association said that the small amount of rain which fell last weekend was very welcome, especially for the winter brassica crops, but it was very sporadic and the situation continues to get more difficult.
"There will certainly be less production and higher costs for growers and this will continue to affect winter crops as well as those planted in the spring. At the moment it is too difficult to make predictions about where we will be in four month's time. The 2017 season has been characterised by extremes which has made it the most challenging season for years. Looking back to March there was snow and extremely low temperatures, April was wet and cold, May was better but mainly dry and since then it has continued to getter hotter and drier.
Jack said that conversations are taking place between retailers and growers about contracts and prices. When asked whether some growers could go out of business due the extreme weather and additional costs he said it was down to how strong the individual businesses were and how confident they feel about investing for the future but with margins so slim, the risks are high.
He went on to say, ‘It is impossible to predict what will happen next year and Brexit adds more uncertainty for producers. For the 2017 season volumes are down across the board and the impact on consumers will depend on a combination of consumption and the supply, and both can be hugely affected by the weather."
G’s also has the advantage of having its own production in Central Europe which has supplemented the English supply, but with the whole of Northern Europe experiencing the extreme warm front everyone is having a difficult time.
In more northern parts of Europe the challenge is greater for those who are not used to having to irrigate and don’t have the necessary equipment at hand.
Request to retailers
The Fresh Produce Consortium, the trade association for UK fresh produce issued a request for retailers and customers to be more flexible with suppliers:
"Whilst the UK fresh produce industry is used to dealing with fluctuations
in growing conditions this continuing situation is causing unprecedented challenges for the UK supply chain in both meeting our usual high standards of quality and providing a sustainable supply of certain products. With increasing demand from consumers for certain products, the need for irrigation and the impact of water restrictions, FPC members are seeing around a forty percent increase in programs in some areas," wrote Nigel Jenney, Chief Executive.
The FPC has asked for support for suppliers during this period and continued dialogue and flexibility regarding specifications and shelf-life and to recognise that this situation is likely to continue for several months, in particular for crops still to come to harvest.
The additional pressures on the supply chain in terms of shortages in sourcing and retaining sufficient temporary workers to harvest, pack and distribute products was also highlighted. "This is leading to the need to extend working hours on occasion to meet customer demand. This has become necessary in these exceptional circumstances and is put in place under strict conditions to comply with the requirements of the GLAA licensing standards.