UK fruit and veg sector contracts but new prospects emerge - Farmers Weekly

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UK fruit and veg sector contracts but new prospects emerge Charlie Reeve 30 July 2025 >More in BusinessCrops markets and pricesMarkets and trends © GNP

Home-grown vegetables made up just over half (53%) of total UK supply last year, highlighting a growing reliance on imports.

This marks a stark change to 30 years ago when almost 80% of vegetables consumed in the UK were domestically produced.

In the fruit sector, UK-grown produce accounts for roughly 15% of total supply, according to new Defra figures.

See also: Growers launch association to save UK fruit and veg sector

The UK planted area for fruit and vegetables continues to decline, and stood at 129,800ha in 2024, down by 16% in the past four years alone.

Meanwhile, UK vegetable production totalled 2.4m tonnes last year, up marginally on the year, but still below historic levels.

Industry analysis found that the fresh-produce sector lost 26% of its fruit orchards and the equivalent to 141,000 football pitches of vegetable ground in 2023 alone.

NFU Horticulture and Potatoes Board chairman Martin Emmett said the sector was ready to grow more produce, but it needed government backing to do it.

Representatives from across the fresh produce sector wrote an open letter in July urging the government to support fruit and vegetable growth across the UK.

The letter said businesses have faced continued economic shocks, planning barriers and supply chain uncertainty, leading to a lack of business and investment confidence.

However, it suggested there were also huge opportunities for domestic growers.

Climate change may open up new markets for UK growers, as rising temperatures are expected to disrupt production in major exporting countries, such as Spain.

An industry report found that half of UK fruit and vegetable imports could face severe climate threats by 2050.

Richard Bonn, report author and co-founder of Aethr Associates, said: "The increasing reliance on our fresh food supply from countries with competing demands for limited water supply will lead to more empty shelves and food price inflation like we have seen in recent years."

UK market

Wholesale fruit and vegetable prices, collected fortnightly by Defra, put onions at 62p/kg in mid-July, down from 97p/kg this time last year.

Carrots have been trading at 60p/kg, compared with 77p/kg last year, and white cabbages at 75p/kg down from 91p/kg.

Fresh produce wholesalers report that UK salad crops and brassicas have grown well this year.

Carrots, parsnips, and green beans are also coming through in greater volumes as the season progresses.

Yorkshire-based supplier Oliver Kay Produce suggested that the quality of UK vegetables were very good this year, with leafy salads crops in excellent condition.

However, peas have struggled with some growers reporting volumes down by almost a third.

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