Crop Report

Global shipping continues to pose a significant risk to fresh produce supply. While delays are now less severe than earlier in the year, disruption remains frequent. With pressure on deliveries, short notice delays are still possible, but as these arise, we will continue to work hard to minimise any impact on customers.

Look out for the seasonal launch of Isle of Wight tomatoes, which is scheduled for next week. Grown in the Arreton Valley, these tomatoes are some of the nation’s most flavoursome produce, due to the long days and naturally reflected sunlight. 

Providing an exceptional taste profile with a rich, sweet flavour, these make an impressive addition to any menu.

Growers across Spain continue to face significant challenges with aphids. Recent weather conditions have created near ideal breeding environments, driving elevated insect pressure across crops. 

Restrictions on pesticide use limit intervention options, and even where treatments are permitted, heavy rain is reducing their effectiveness.

In addition, a weather related gap in planting is impacting availability, particularly for Cos and Little Gem. Iceberg availability is beginning 
to improve.

Concessions are in place to help support supply.

Tenderstem® supply has been significantly impacted across all major growing regions due to adverse weather and ongoing logistical disruption. Spain, Portugal, Egypt, and Kenya are all facing crop or freight challenges, resulting in reduced availability across the 
wider market.

We expect the next six weeks to remain challenging. However, we are working closely with our suppliers, and despite continued tightness in the broader market, we do not anticipate major issues with our own supply.

It has been a very difficult season, and conditions remain challenging as we approach its end. Cherry and baby plum tomatoes are extremely short, and some substitution is required to maintain availability. We expect to see the first Isle of Wight volumes from next week, which should help ease some of the current pressure.

Round tomatoes are also in short supply as the season winds down and Moroccan volumes decline. This is being compounded by colder weather in the Canary Islands, although we anticipate an improvement over the coming weeks.

Volumes from Spain remain significantly reduced due to adverse weather earlier in the season, which created a gap in plantings. Growers had hoped this gap would close, but continued poor weather has prevented recovery, and we expect some shortages across the market this week. 

Florets are also being affected by these challenging conditions and may see similar shortfalls.

We are working closely with all suppliers to manage availability, and we anticipate these challenges will persist for the next three to four weeks.

Strawberry availability continues to strengthen as the Spanish season progresses. Quality and supply are now consistent, and we do not anticipate further challenges.

Raspberries and blueberries, however, remain difficult. Market availability is still tight, with limited volumes coming through from Morocco.

We are working closely with our suppliers to maximise supply wherever possible and to minimise any impact on customers.

High temperatures in Egypt have severely impacted supply, with significant crop losses. As a result, sugar snap has already finished for the season, and mangetout is expected to end in around two weeks.

Kenya has experienced severe flooding, delaying the start of its season, which is now expected to begin in approximately two weeks. This is a challenging situation, but we are working closely with our suppliers to manage it as effectively as possible.

Product availability remains stable. However, logistics continue to present significant challenges due to prolonged sea freight delays from Senegal, which are also contributing to some quality issues as transit times extend.

With air freight currently unavailable, suppliers have been forced to rely on road transport, further lengthening lead times. We are working closely with partners to manage the situation, and to date we have avoided any major impact on customers.

Concessions remain in place for cauliflower and cabbages on weight, following the earlier poor growing conditions. Cabbages are also being affected by oedema, for which a separate concession has been agreed.

High temperatures in Mexico are creating challenging growing conditions for asparagus. While overall availability is not currently affected, the heat is placing plants under significant stress, slowing growth and reducing stem size. This is particularly impacting the large and extra large grades.

We have now moved into the South African season as the Spanish season winds down. In the longer term, this transition will help ease what has been a particularly challenging Spanish season. However, in the short term, the market is likely to remain tight, with widespread shortages of small lemons expected.

Cavolo nero supply has been challenged by a gap in planting, leading to some pressure on availability. While volumes remain tight, we expect to see improvement as we move through the week.

These popular seasonal lines are expected to finish at the end of the week following a successful season. They will return later in the year.

Container delays are creating market wide supply challenges for passion fruit. We have worked closely with suppliers to secure additional stocks, but the market will remain extremely tight until new arrivals land.