Winter Crop Report 2023

Summary

Page contents

1 Vegetables

2 Fruit

3 Exotics

Buyer recommendations

Good picks from buyers this season include:

Spring onions

Sprouts

Melon

Cabbage Green

Kale

Apple Red (Large)

Market Report

Vegetables

UK crops finished early due to weather conditions and switched to Spanish supply from October. There is a tight supply throughout winter months and tenderstem broccoli is in very limited supply. The UK tenderstem supply is almost finished and we are supplementing Kenyan to maintain supply for our customers until Spanish produce becomes available in the coming weeks

UK red and white cabbages are very good quality. Green & Savoy cabbage from Lincolnshire is a good size and excellent quality. Spring cabbage and kale from Lancashire is planned throughout winter

Quality is excellent and crop is good but wet conditions have made harvesting challenging

Heads are a good size and UK supply will continue through November with French sourcing to protect supply through winter

New season Spanish celery is now available

Had a lot of issues this season. We are planning to move to Elland variety for the next few months due to Piper crop challenges. Elland is a very similar potato to Piper but isn’t having the same challenges on availability or quality. The product code will remain unchanged

Concerns remain over water damage to both UK and Dutch crops during wet weather and quality will be monitored

Like carrots, the quality is excellent and crop is good, but wet conditions have made harvesting challenging

Weather conditions have made growing very mixed. Smaller and mid-size jackets are in short supply versus normal seasons, with many large tubers available. It is unlikely that the 10 to 15% in the ground will be salvageable, and we are looking at imports as a continence for early Spring. We have already switched marris Piper to Elland due to quality and availability issues.

New season Egyptian spring onion now available

Loose British Brussel sprouts are now in stock and prep sprouts are available through December

Although salad growers have re-planted, we expect to see shortages in supply in the wholesale markets up to Christmas

Quality remains good but heavy rains in the east of Scotland have caused some harvesting delays

Fruit

UK Braeburn now available. Kentish Large Red Apple Gala and Cox in good condition and should meet demand well into 2024. Small apple shortages this winter due to late rains in Poland increasing the apple size and losses in France and Serbia due to the heat. We have secured our supply for the winter period with Jajuan from Asia as a contingency

Unpredictable weather patterns along with the absence of fruit from Israel is affecting availability

Tupi variety is of good quality. Guatemalan civil unrest is putting more pressure on Mexican supply resulting in overall low availability

Excellent flavour

No quality or supply issues expected across all varieties. South African until end of February, then Indian Thompson variety

New season Brazilian variety quality and availability very good. Brazilian and RSA Flame and Crimson to run until April

Has been in short supply as we move from Southern Hemisphere to European varieties with normal volumes due to stabilise with the arrival of Spanish oranges over winter

Early South African peach and nectarine should start in December although early arrivals are invariably woody and expensive until the season develops

In season

UK varieties have now ended, with supply being imported from Portugal. Quality and availability both good

No issues with Rovada quality or availability, but prices remain high

UK crops have now ended and Dutch Glass house crops are being supplied, indoor does not have the same flavour profile as outdoor grown and very expensive, also they are in very short supply with many retail shelves empty. We are awaiting the late December arrival of outdoor Mediterranean strawberries

The round and beef tomato move from Dutch into Moroccan should complete by mid-November. UK Heritage Tomato has already moved to Spanish supply for the winter

Exotics

Peruvian quality is good with contingency supply available through Mexico

Unpredictable weather patterns along with the absence of fruit from Israel is affecting availability

Growing conditions are ok, but reaching monsoon season later this year

South African varieties to maintain supply through winter months

Currently supplied from Kenya. We are sourcing from Morocco through the winter which is a new origin for us, and have Rwandan supply as a contingency. No quality report issues to date

Mainly Portuguese supply for the next few months, with Spain as a backup. Quality is good

Spanish supply will be moving into Moroccan through November taking us through winter with quality good

Peruvian varieties finished in November with Brazilian supply taking us through winter

Availability of Brazilian ginger is good. A mix of Spanish and Chinese garlic with good quality

Mainly Brazilian with Mexican supply as a contingency but not expected to utilise. Quality is good

Brazilian Tommy Atkins are good with Peruvian Keitt alongside

French Banana shallot quality is very good, no problems expected

Kenyan supply with Egyptian to follow which will take us through most of winter - quality good

Main supply Egyptian through winter and quality is very good

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