Outlook 2016: Field vegetable growers in the UK face tough decisions

In the eastern counties there appears to have been an increase in demand for vegetable land, supported by the Defra horticultural statistics for 2014. These suggest that the total area of vegetables has increased in recent years. There has been further and more remarkable consolidation in the sector, affecting both growers and grower-packers, following some years of expectation, says Andersons director Nick Blake. “The high-risk, high-cost and negotiation tactics of the supermarkets mean that it is likely that the number of suppliers will continue to reduce.” More