Vegetable consumption likely to rise in UK

Speaking at the ADAS/Syngenta Vegetable Industry Conference NFU head of economics and international affairs Tom Hind, said there was little reason to believe the vegetable industry would suffer due to any likely fall in consumer demand.

 

“Indeed, with the renewed government impetus on healthy eating, and relative affordability of vegetables, there could be some further positive growth in consumption in 2009,” he said.

 

Hind commented that a survey had been undertaken which showed that UK farmers were less heavily-affected by the lending squeeze than other sectors of the economy.

 

Production costs remain tight in UK however, as although energy costs have fallen, fertiliser prices remain high and supermarket price cuts are putting suppliers under greater pressure to cut costs. This level of pressure, already being felt heavily in horticulture, could intensify in 2009.