A mixture of tough harvest conditions due to hot dry weather, which is also limiting demand, mean that the market for cauliflower, particularly Lincolnshire cauliflower where the season started in early June, is difficult according to traders.
Shane Talling of Veg UK told Fresh Plaza, “It’s been very dry here, despite this quality has been pretty good. 10-14 days ago we did have a very, hot, dry spell which caused some damage to the crop but quality has improved since.
“We supply mainly to the hospitality sector which is having a hard time at the moment with staffing and increased costs, a lot of restaurants are closed at the start of the week due to staffing issues and reopen later in the week– each week there is a pattern to the trade. It seems that you are fighting for every order at the moment, and transport is also very difficult and very expensive.”
The food service market has also been hit by the cost-of-living crisis: as households seek to reduce unnecessary expenditure, eating out is one of the first casualties. Elsewhere in the market, high transport prices are limited export opportunities (despite renewed interest in Europe), while warm weather is also limiting the demand for brassicas with retailers.