British cucumbers under threat of extinction, says NFU

British cucumbers could disappear from supermarket shelves if price wars continue, growers have warned.

The NFU today (5 November) published an update to its ‘Catalyst for Change’ report, looking at the progress made since it warned British fruit and veg was at risk as a result of poor supply chain practices.

It noted there had been positive action from some retailers – with Aldi signing up to the NFU Fruit and Veg pledge and Tesco set to launch new fresh potato supply contracts.

However, it warned this was the “exception rather than the rule”, with many growers describing current trading conditions as a “battlefield” and warning supermarket price wars might force them to cut back on production.

Cucumbers were highlighted as a case in point – with British cucumber production falling to 100 hectares for the first time in history in 2014/15 after supermarkets slashed average prices from 80p to less than 50p.

“Nobody in the supply chain is making anything from the production and sale of cucumbers,” warned the Cucumber Growers Association. “Without an increase in returns the British cucumber industry won’t be endangered – it will be extinct.”

Unveiling the report, NFU horticulture board chairman Guy Poskitt said retailers had started seeking longer-term deals with suppliers, but growers were concerned they would fall back to “short-term thinking” as competition for market share increased.

He warned that with rising levels of imported fresh produce on supermarket shelves and diminishing UK self-sufficiency in fruit and veg, the supply chain now faced “a choice”.

“Growers have the choice to grow less produce to manage their exposure to risk; retailers have the choice to do things differently,” he said, urging more supermarkets to sign up to the Fruit and Veg pledge.

According to the report, UK self-sufficiency in vegetable production has fallen 3.3% since 2010, with fruit production down 1%. Imports of fruit and vegetables to the UK were 18 times higher than the volume of exports in 2014, creating a trade deficit of £4.7bn.