European vegetable farms struggling with energy crisis

Vegetable producers in northern and western Europe are contemplating halting their activities because of the financial hit from the region’s energy crisis, Reuters reports. The publication recounts that surging power and gas prices will impact crops grown through the winter in heated greenhouses and those which need to be placed in cold storage.  Tomatoes, peppers […]

Food industry offers condolences, fondly honours HRM Queen Elizabeth II

This past week, condolences and tributes have poured in across the UK and the world after the passing of Her Royal Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at age 96 at Balmoral Castle. That includes scores of retail, hospitality and other food industry entities who got to know her during her reign. Here are some of the […]

To beat heat, Lidl working with British suppliers to prevent produce waste

Discount retailer Lidl has reached out to fresh produce suppliers across the UK to ensure that their fresh fruits and vegetables baked by intense dry spells will not go to waste. Lidl officials say they will be helping “identify key crop challenges, and where possible work to accommodate these products within its existing lines.” In […]

EU’s plan to go green will boost innovation, but costs will rise, too

Companies and citizens of the European Union (EU) will not be able to escape the fact that there is no such thing as a free lunch and there are costs to “greening” the union. The European Green Deal is the name of the EU’s overarching policy that aims to make the EU climate neutral in […]

UK Grower of the Year? FPC Fresh Awards will honour one in July

Perhaps at no point in recent memory has there been a more challenging time to be a grower in the UK – with the COVID-19 pandemic, rising costs, labour shortage and weather that has been especially fickle wreaking havoc on farmers and their crops. But the best of the best have shined through, and the […]

Tesco urges start-ups with innovative solutions to enter Agri T-Jam

Agriculture technology start-ups are once again being asked to gather their creative ideas and solutions and enter them into one of the industry’s most unique competitions: the 2022 Tesco Agri T-Jam. The event features seed and early agri-tech inventors pitching their most thoughtful innovations to a panel judge, including a select audience of investors and […]

UK Growth Strong for South African Raisins

South African growers drive UK campaign to debunk myths on raisins

The South African raisin industry reports continued growth at the end of the 2021 season, despite climatic challenges. Regardless of limitations faced by the industry, export volumes of South African raisins to the UK are up once again vs 2020, which saw a huge increase compared to 2019. The UK imported 1,430,000 kg to the […]

UK government grants relief on labour shortage, but is it enough?

British ministers extended some relief to agriculture and the fresh produce industry by allowing to temporary workers to remain in the UK through 2024, though it will begin putting limits on the “reliance on foreign labour.” Affected by Brexit and COVID-19, worker shortages led to food waste and delivery issues in 2019 and early on […]