The wettest conditions in nearly a quarter-century have posed significant challenges for salad producers like G's Fresh, according to Peter Sargeant, the managing director of their Norfolk site. The excessive rainfall has hindered planting schedules and affected summer demand.
G's Fresh operates across multiple sites in Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Yorkshire, Kent, West Sussex, and the West Midlands. Their planting season typically begins in late February and early March, encompassing lettuce, celery, mushrooms, melons, tomatoes, beetroot, asparagus, onions, garlic, spring onions, and pumpkins.
Speaking on Radio 4's Farming Today programme, Mr. Sargeant highlighted the ongoing struggle to plant crops due to saturated fields. He noted that the weather conditions during May and June, critical for summer sales, have been particularly adverse this year, affecting around 50% of their seasonal sales peaks.
William Gribbon, manager at Heygate Farms in Swaffham, Norfolk, echoed these concerns, citing significant land saturation from last year's record rainfall. He emphasized the rising costs associated with potato production, including fertilizers and chemicals, which are exacerbated by weather dependency, thereby increasing overall production risks.
Source - https://www.freshplaza.com
