Last year’s bumper crop of good quality carrots has resulted in a crash in demand as sowing of the 2022 crop gets underway.
According to reports, unwashed carrots are worth around £70 a tonne, around half the cost of production, with many predicting a decline in the planted area for the coming season as a result. An increase in demand due to lockdown had seen the UK areas rise between 20 and 25 per cent.
Martin Strickson of Elsoms seeds told The Scottish Farmer, “I would think at this stage it is almost certain there will be reduction in area across all of the UK.”
The magazine added, ‘The UK is almost entirely self-sufficient in carrot production, with significant volumes of exports only happening when there is a shortage in the EU or oversupply in the UK. Retailers are selling carrots for 40p/kg which represents such a low price that if the price was to fall further on the shelves it would not necessarily drive sales.
Some in the industry believe the sector is a victim of its own success, as production of high volumes of vegetables for such a low price can be undervalued by customers.’