Rabobank has responded to reports that cold weather has hit fruit production in the UK by pointing out that events like this are likely to become more common.
Cindy van Rijswick, fresh fruit and vegetables industry analyst at Rabobank, said:
“The unfortunate reality is that both farmers and consumers in the UK should prepare themselves for this to happen more often in the years ahead.
“As weather becomes more unpredictable we are likely to see a recurrence of the type of cold snaps that have caused the shortage of British fruit in recent weeks. Incidents of flash flooding may also become more common, causing further pain.
“In fact, poor weather could even negatively affect greenhouse fruits, such as strawberries and tomatoes, due to less daylight. EU and rest-of-the-world producers which serve the UK could also be hit by shortages of produce like lettuce and spinach because of more common adverse weather.”
Van Rijswick added that farmers could mitigate the threat posed by cold weather by investing in technology such as wind-proof netting and plastic coverings which protect fruit.
Meanwhile, she said that a number of Dutch and other EU clients were currently considering investing in British fresh produce, such as tomatoes and strawberries, to provide a post-Brexit UK presence.
