British Apples & Pears Limited (BAPL) has published findings from its latest grower survey conducted in late 2025, showing that audit and compliance demands and labour costs remain the main pressures on UK apple and pear businesses.
Farm assurance, compliance, and audit was the highest-ranked issue in the survey, with 97% of growers and 67% of grower/packers identifying it as a top-three business challenge.
Labour costs were also widely cited, with 85% of growers and 89% of grower/packers including them among their main concerns.
An anonymous grower said: "Farming is less fun than it was: paperwork, low returns, labour problems, and cost – and now I can't pass assets to my son, so why bother?"
© British Apples and Pears
The survey shows some improvement compared to 2023 in certain areas. Confidence has increased, with 43% of respondents reporting they are less confident about the future, compared to 70% in 2023. Relationships with retailers have also shifted, with 14% of respondents describing them as a "true partnership", up from 3% in 2023.
BAPL also reports that the US-Israel-Iran conflict is driving increases in input costs at the start of the growing season, when fertiliser and fuel purchases are typically made.
One British apple farm reported fertiliser costs 42% higher than the same period last year. The same business reported kerosene or heating oil rising from around £0.65 per litre (US$0.82) to £1.30 per litre (US$1.64). Growers also report volatility in red diesel pricing and availability.
Disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz are affecting energy and fertiliser supply chains. The route is a key shipping corridor, and disruptions are influencing freight and input costs. Natural gas, which accounts for around 60-80% of nitrogen fertiliser production costs, is also contributing to price changes.
An anonymous grower/packer said, "We can't pause the season. These are inputs we need now – and sudden price spikes feed straight into our cost of production."
Ali Capper, executive chair of British Apples & Pears, said: "This survey shows the scale of pressure growers are under from audit burden and labour costs – and now we are facing a fresh input-cost shock just as the season starts.
"Growers' confidence has improved since 2023, but it won't hold if another prolonged input-cost shock takes hold.
"Growers can't simply pause buying fertiliser, fuel, and energy. If these cost spikes persist through the spring, they will feed directly into food inflation – and the government and the supply chain must act early. Ministers and the Bank of England need to understand what's happening on the ground, and the Grocery Code Adjudicator should remind retailers of the rules around cost-inflation discussions so legitimate increases can be addressed fairly."
For more information:
British Apples & Pears
Tel: +44 (0) 1507 353778
Email: [email protected]
www.britishapplesandpears.co.uk
