According to an audit of the UK soft fruit sector conducted in August, more than a third of British berry growers are considering scaling back their operations or quitting the industry altogether.
Although sales of fresh berries remain strong, and some of the leading growers are reinvesting in their businesses to maximise growth opportunities, many others warn that rising costs, labour shortages and retailer pressure are making them reconsider their future. The audit, which is part of British Berry Growers’ (BBG) ongoing annual assessment revealed that 34 per cent of British berry growers are considering scaling back or leaving the sector entirely, citing poor profitability and financial stress, while only 48 per cent said they are currently making a profit. This figure falls even further to 39 per cent when growers were asked if they expected to make a profit next year, while 43 per cent rated their business’s financial health as “bad” or “extremely bad.”
Although 10 per cent of growers describe their relationship with multiple retailers as a “true partnership”, and 15 per cent say it’s the “best it’s been” (an improvement on the 2023 audit when no growers selected those options), overall six in ten growers (61 per cent) felt that retailers “buy only on price, it’s not a partnership” — up sharply from 40 per cent last year — while almost a third (32 per cent) described the relationship as the “worst it’s been in the last ten years.”
However, there are signs of improving confidence, with more growers than previously feeling positive about the future and planning to increase their investment spending. BBG chairman Nick Marston said the results show an industry “under pressure but also showing resilience.” “While a significant number of growers are scaling back or leaving, others are looking to invest and adapt, pointing to a split between businesses retrenching and those trying to push forward,” he said.
He added that 2025 had seen “hugely strong sales” across strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries, driven by health-conscious consumers and favourable growing conditions. However, challenges remain. “The bad news is that labour and production costs remain high, there is still a significant audit burden, and we still have a planning system which doesn’t help growers,” he continued.
