Now Brits are warned of apple and pear shortages: Experts say perfect storm of frosts and rising production costs could see supplies run low by August
- Comes after supermarkets rationed tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers
- Eight in ten apple and pear growers said to have stopped investing in their farms
- READ: Farmers warn tomatoes, cucumbers and pears will vanish from shelves
With Britain already hit by salad shortages, shoppers are being warned that apples and pears could be in short supply by August.
Experts say a perfect storm of frosts, rising production costs and skinflint retailers are forcing farmers to dig up their orchards.
It comes after supermarkets rationed tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers due to supply shortages.
Eight in ten apple and pear growers are said to have stopped investing in their farms, with trade association British Apples & Pears warning that growers planted a million fewer trees than usual this year.
Just 300,000 have been bedded in, and growers expect the worst crisis since the Great Storm flattened orchards in 1987.
Eight in ten apple and pear growers are said to have stopped investing in their farms, with trade association British Apples & Pears warning that growers planted a million fewer trees than usual this year
Unusually severe chills this month are set to stall growth of many fruit and vegetables, meaning they could arrive on shelves weeks late.
The Met Office said the coming week will bring the coldest day of the year, with snow flurries and temperatures falling to -4C (25F).
Some apple and pear farmers have stopped producing the fruit after costs rose by 25 per cent in a year due to higher energy and labour bills, while supermarkets raised what they pay by only one per cent.
Retailers are also sticking to ruthless size specifications, which has led to millions of apples being left to rot, while many are buying cheaper apples from as far away as Chile.
Ali Capper, of British Apples & Pears, added: ‘A minority have had enough. They can’t see how they can make a profit.
‘A big issue is supermarkets refusing to buy apples a couple of millimetres outside the specified size. It’s bonkers.’
Source: Read Full Article
