British Berry Growers (BBG) has begun publishing weekly sales data from its members showing that retailers Lidl, Aldi and Waitrose are the most supportive of homegrown soft fruit.
The move comes after British Apples and Pears began issuing similar reports for top fruit sales and comes as some have accused supermarkets of profiteering over berry sales. BBG statistics show that between May and September last year, consumer prices for berries rose by an average of 11%, but over the same period there was no increase seen in the price paid to growers.
Nick Marston, chairman of BBG, said “The squeeze on the British berry industry, which faces rising production costs and flat returns from supermarkets, is seriously threatening the viability of the British berry industry.
“If we don’t address this disconnect, British berry growers will start to reduce the numbers of berries they grow or go out of the industry completely, as they are unable to make a profit. None of us wants that, least of all consumers, who love buying and eating British berries.”
A survey of BBG growers in last month forecast an 8% reduction in the number of strawberry plants being planned for 2024 – equivalent to an estimated 12 million fewer strawberry plants or nine million punnets of fruit.
Nick Marston added that the drop in production highlights the need for action “to ensure the long-term sustainability of the industry.” He said, “The berry category has historically experienced consistent growth, but growers’ profitability is at an all-time low. If returns from supermarkets continue to fail to address growers’ rising costs, an increasing number of growers will be forced to cut production, shift to exports, or consider growing other crops.”
It has been reported that many growers are turning to export markets where they can achieve better returns, planning to export four times as many berries in 2023 compared to 2022.
Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, stated that retailers primarily source their food from the UK and are paying higher prices for British produce.