Warning to shoppers buying broccoli and cauliflower as supermarkets face shortage
A warning has been issued to shoppers buying broccoli and cauliflower as supermarkets likely to face shortage.
Experts believe growing conditions over the autumn and winter will likely cause problems with the supply of vegetables down the line. The crop professionals said the mild temperatures during the autumn months and the early winter meant the crops bloomed early.
Heavy rain periods have also damaged cauliflower crops. This has resulted in farmers losing batches, which in turn will slow down supply and hike up the price.
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Hannah Croft, of the organic vegetable company Riverford, told the Guardian: “Our Spanish suppliers, who grow much of our winter broccoli, have faced setbacks due to heavy autumn rain, which caused quality issues and delayed planting for spring crops. This has pushed harvest schedules forward, meaning there’s a possibility of a gap in late spring.”
And weather experts are warning that crop shortages could become more frequent as climate change drives changes to the environment in the UK, reports the Express.
Dr John David, RHS head of horticultural taxonomy, said plants are flowering earlier as a result of global warming.
Guy Barter, who is Chief Horticulturalist at the Royal Horticultural Society, had a similar experience in his own personal allotment.
He discovered that his winter cauliflower, expected to bloom in April, had already fully developed by the first week of January.
Dr John David, RHS head of horticultural taxonomy, said plants are flowering earlier as a result of global warming.
Guy Barter, who is Chief Horticulturalist at the Royal Horticultural Society, had a similar experience in his own personal allotment.
He discovered that his winter cauliflower, expected to bloom in April, had already fully developed by the first week of January.
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