Floods drive up broccoli, carrot and potato prices

Fresh British-grown vegetables will be in short supply this summer and shoppers can expect hefty price increases, horticulture experts have predicted.

The recent floods have damaged thousands of acres of broccoli, cabbage, cauliflowers,potatoes, onions and carrots. Last week the alert was over pea crops but now many growers are reporting losses of up to 70 per cent of their other vegetables.

The situation is described by Sarah Pettitt, the vice-chairwoman of the National Farmers’ Union horticulture board, as critical. It is also unclear whether imports from the Continent will make up any shortfall, because of similar problems with drought and floods across Europe.

The industry has decided to raise these fears now so that consumers can prepare for shortages and higher prices. In Lincolnshire and East Yorkshire, the area that supplies about 40 per cent of British produce, thousands of tonnes of vegetables are rotting in the ground, unable to be harvested.