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Autumn Crop Report 2025

Summary

Page contents

1 Vegetables 2 Leaf 3 Berries & Grapes 4 Exotics

Buyer recommendations

Good picks from buyers this season include:

Carrot Whole Carrot Whole Parsnip Parsnip Cabbage Savoy Cabbage Savoy Placeholder Squash / Gourds Mixed

Market Report

Vegetables

We have seen lighter heads and thicker stalks, along with some pest damage. However, this should improve as we move into autumn with good availability towards the season end. Planting of the Spanish crop has started and there are no issues expected so far.
New UK season started well due to the early planting and dry spring conditions. With Yorkshire still in a drought situation, reservoirs and river levels remain low, so a little rain is needed as the season goes on. Growers can irrigate but normal precipitation penetrates the soil at a better rate.
Availability has struggled earlier on in the year due to the extreme temperatures and pest damage. Our growers expect that this should improve into autumn, especially if we get a little rain.
Both cooking and red onion are good quality, but lack of rain has reduced sizing.
New UK season has begun with no availability concerns so far. As like with many
Due to the dry spring, conditions for planting were quite favourable so many growers finished planting crops two weeks earlier than normal. However, with the ongoing lack of rainfall and extreme temperatures many growers are now concerned that the crops have run out of steam. We already know that yields are expected to be down in some areas and that there will be a lack of larger material, posing availability issues with 40’s and 50’s baking potatoes. Areas that have had water and have been able to use it may have better yields than expected. Early season potato crops are doing well but we may see some bruising due to the dry lifting conditions. Many growers are waiting to see what the weather conditions are throughout September. Ideally a little rain would help soften the soils to help with the lifting process and prevent high levels of bruising to the tubers. However, a lot of rain could make lifting difficult and lead to further issues seen as crops are moved into stores.
Dry hot conditions have delayed this year’s harvest by around 4-6 weeks and head size are much reduced. Recent rain will hopefully improve a poor situation, but they will not recover in size fully.
UK crop has fared much better than cauliflower and broccoli.
Summer has been a challenge due to lack of water, recent rains have been welcomed, and growers now need brighter days to establish good leaf architecture to sustain the plants through winter.

Leaf

Crops are currently doing well with overall quality looking good as we near the end of the season. Italian rocket will come in earlier as the UK season draws to a close.
French – Frizze Endive has seen a few problems this summer due to the heat and then storms, backed up with English Endive (slightly coarser). UK lollos and oakleaf has fared reasonably well despite the summer heat.
We have seen lack of growth due to the heat, going forward we should see availability return to normal; however, we may still see lighter head weights.

Berries & Grapes

UK production has decreased slightly so we may see Dutch and Portuguese crop as a contingency for the coming weeks.
Good availability of UK and Scottish crop now before we move into Peru and RSA.
Strong supply of UK and Scottish crop before we transition to Portuguese, Moroccan and Spanish.
Expecting to see the final flush of tunnel grown UK crop, so good availability to end the season. We will then move on to UK glasshouse and Dutch fruit.
Spanish supply mainly Summer Royal (black).
Spanish Sweet Globe variety - Europe will finish a bit early with Brazilian available from mid-October.

Exotics

Peruvian supply non-stop through winter, quality is very good, no supply issues expected.
Supply is mainly now India with Thailand as a backup, quality is very good.
UK supply of orange and rainbow carrot has been good and depending on the weather, we hope to get through the month of September, when we will move to South African supply through winter.
Main Rwandan supply through autumn, we will move to Moroccan supply through winter. Kenya is available as backup.
Spanish supply underway, Portuguese will start late September and will take us through winter. Spain will be backup supply through winter, quality is good.
Mainly Portuguese supply through summer along with Moroccan into winter. This year has been the first year Morocco has been able to supply 12 months without a gap, albeit only certain varieties.
Turkey supply is good taking us through until start of winter when we move to Brazil, quality good.
Ginger is Chinese with Brazilian available as backup, quality is good. Garlic supply is Chinese, quality also good.
Mainly Brazilian through winter, Mexican supply is not expected but always there as backup. No quality issues known.
Mainly Tommy Atkins variety from both Brazil and Peru. We trialled a new variety OMAR this summer, feedback was positive.
Good quality, Full Banana variety, no problems expected.
Egyptian season has started as planned and intended to take us through winter; quality is very good.
Both are mainly Zimbabwe supply with some Guatemalan available. We will be moving to Guatemala and Peru supply as we approach winter, with Kenya available as a backup if needed.

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