The UK may be facing a shortage of apples and pears in the near future as British growers are planting only a third of the number of trees required to maintain orchards. Ali Capper, the head of
the British Apples & Pears trade association, which represents about 80% of the industry in the UK, has said that 1 million new trees will need to be planted annually to maintain the UK's 5,500 hectares (13,590 acres) of production. However, farmers had planned to order only 480,000 apple and pear trees this year, which has been reduced to 330,000. Capper has cited unsustainable returns from selling to supermarkets as the key reason for the lack of investment.
According to Capper, fruit growers' costs have increased by approximately 23%, with the cost of picking, energy, haulage, and packaging having risen. However, less than a 1% increase in returns is being experienced. "The majority of growers are losing money," she said. Some growers are planning to quit the industry, while others are mothballing their orchards or grubbing them up as returns dwindle. "This is a very serious situation," Capper warned. "The future of apple and pear growing in the UK is seriously in doubt."
The UK is already facing shortages of various fresh food items, leading Tesco, Asda, Aldi, and Morrisons to limit purchases of certain lines, including tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers. Cold weather in Spain and North Africa has caused crops there to suffer, and British and Dutch growers who plant salads under glass at this time of year have also made significant cutbacks. Growers say that supermarkets are not prepared to cover the increased cost of heating.
In conclusion, the UK may soon experience a shortage of apples and pears as British growers are planting only a third of the necessary number of trees. Growers cite unsustainable returns from selling to supermarkets as the key reason for the lack of investment, and the majority are losing money. The future of apple and pear growing in the UK is seriously in doubt, with some growers quitting the industry and others mothballing or grubbing up their orchards. The situation is compounded by shortages of other fresh food items, caused by cold weather in Spain and North Africa and cutbacks by British and Dutch salad growers. Photo by User:Abrahami, Wikimedia commons.