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A mild autumn has caused much of the UK’s green vegetable and potato crops to grow early, leading to gluts and large amounts of waste, and fears of shortages early next year.
Cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli that were supposed to be ready in December or January are now ready for harvest, some grown to large sizes thanks to an exceptionally mild fall.
Farmers who have been growing vegetables for decades say they have never seen anything like this and the unpredictable weather has forced them to “tear up” their sowing and harvesting deadlines.
Guy Singh-Watson, founder of organic vegetable box company Riverford, told the Guardian he had hundreds of tonnes of extra vegetables due to the “amazing” weather. They are working with FareShare, a charity that distributes extra food to people in poverty, with extra brassicas and potatoes for those who need them.
He told the Guardian: “I’ve been growing vegetables for 35 years and I plan my sowing and harvesting dates every year based on what I’ve learned, so this year I can tear them up and throw them away. Climate is changing very fast. This is the first time in 35 years that we have gone this far due to exceptional weather. I hope I never see this again.”
The company is dealing with a huge glut of vegetables. Singh-Watson said: “We’ve got lots of Savoy cabbages, 13,000 which will have to be cut next week, lots of leeks too and lots of cabbages coming in. They are all huge, Savoy is huge, cauliflower is huge.
“Mainly the weather, it’s been so mild that we’re picking savoys and purple sprouting broccoli that was supposed to come in January. We can persuade our customers to put more greens in their boxes but there is a limit.”
He believes that there may be shortage of these vegetables in January and February. “There will be a problem, we won’t be able to grow it again, most of these crops will be grown. [again] Around July. That crop is gone. When they come early it means we will probably be short sometime after Christmas.
A large portion of the surplus goes to the feedshare, but much is thrown away or fed to livestock. Martin Lines, who chairs the Nature Friendly Farming Network, said: “That’s what I’ve heard from farmers. When the weather changes and is warmer than usual, demand drops and supermarkets cancel contracts.”
Consumer demand is also to blame; The milder weather means people aren’t in the mood for sprouts and cabbage just yet.
Mark Tufnell, president of the Country Land and Business Association, said: “Crop yields have been damaged by severe drought over the summer, and now consumer demand for winter vegetables is being hit by unseasonably warm November weather. While supermarkets are adapting by offering small-sized potatoes and vegetables such as brassicas, many are refusing to pay farmers a price that covers production costs. This has left farmers with no option but to limit the amount of food they are producing.”
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