The salad-growing industry in the UK has been under severe pressure because of energy price rises, caused largely by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Tomato sales to June 2022 were down by 2.5% at £888m (Kantar), with volume falling by 8%. Peppers were at £395m (-10%) in the year. Cucumbers were at £260m (-2.4%), but Lea Valley Growers Association secretary Lee Stiles says it is this crop that may suffer most as growers choose not to plant rather than make losses as energy prices explode. Lettuce was at £224m (+3.3%).
Fischer Farms and Jones Food Company are new vertical-farming growers that are yet to issue accounts but promise to be big industry players.
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