Crop Report

Availability of strawberries has improved as we continue the transition to Morocco. Supply is looking positive and we are supporting the main Moroccan crop with a small amount of Egyptian produce.

However, this remains a challenging time of year, with fluctuating demand while we are still early in the winter season, so we are working closely with suppliers to maximise supply.

Blueberries may face challenges later this week due to shipping delays. We are actively managing this with suppliers to try to minimise customer impact.

Avian Influenza (AI) outbreaks continue across the UK. To protect poultry, mandatory Housing Orders and enhanced biosecurity measures are in place under the Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ).

We source eggs from multiple regions in the UK to reduce disruption and are working closely with suppliers to maintain availability.

Eggs can still be marketed as free range while hens are temporarily housed indoors.

Cooler weather in Morocco has slowed growth of larger G-sized tomatoes, causing minor short-term availability challenges. Smaller sizes may be seen in the immediate future, but overall impact should be limited.

There have also been some media reports of flash floods in Morocco, which may add to the market challenges. However, we source from multiple origins, with the majority of our supply coming from the Canary Islands and Spain.

Persistent heavy rain has affected harvests, creating market-wide concerns on quality and availability. We are sourcing from additional origins to support supply, but expect a challenging fortnight while crops recover.

We recommend considering Purple Sprouting Broccoli as a short-term alternative. It is hardier and currently has better availability.

Heavy rain in southern Spain has saturated soils, complicating harvests. Availability remains satisfactory, but quality concerns such as excess mud and increased bruising are present. We are working with suppliers to minimise disruption.

Thrips pest challenges have emerged unusually early in Spain’s Almería region. Our broad supplier base is helping us to mitigate risk, but intermittent appearance-related problems may persist.

Eating quality is unaffected. Colder weather should help reduce the impact, though challenges could increase later in the season.

Maintaining weight continues to be difficult, so size concessions for red and white cabbage remain in place. Some quality concerns from oedema persist, but we are working closely with growers to ensure the best possible product reaches the customer.

The Moroccan season is well underway, with quality improving compared to the Spanish supply that supported the transition from South Africa. Sizes remain small early in the season, so a concession is in place. Full transition to Moroccan supply is expected by month-end.

It remains challenging for cucumber growers as the market struggles to catch up from the warm weather earlier in the season which caused some gaps in supply. However, we have managed the shortages well, with limited impact on customers and expect better availability from the end of the week.