North America Edition
All six of the leading UK apple growers in the industry have experienced a notable decrease in profits, with several facing large financial setbacks. The representative organisation for these growers stated that this downturn was anticipated, given that the cost of production for growers surged by approximately 23% the previous year. However, supermarkets compensated growers merely 0.8% more than they did in 2022, as per a study by BAP released in January.
This is surprising, especially since the retail prices have been on the rise throughout the recent months. Out of 75 apple varieties available in the primary four retailers, around 19 witnessed a price increase of over 10% annually. This includes four varieties with a price hike of over 45% and one with a 65.6% increase.
Head of BAP Ali Capper: “While retail prices for apples and pears have gone up, it seems the suppliers haven't benefitted from these hikes. Clearly, someone is profiting, but it's not the growers.”
Moreover, the pricing for the 2023 apple harvest is still under discussion by supermarkets, even though the harvesting season has already commenced.
Source: fpcfreshtalkdaily.co.uk
