Supermarket shoppers may have noticed fruit and vegetables looking smaller or more misshapen than usual, and the cause is the ongoing drought affecting England, Wales, and much of continental Europe. As heatwaves dry up fields, retailers are relaxing their usual cosmetic standards for fresh produce, meaning items like knobbly potatoes or bendy cucumbers are now being sold instead of rejected.
Retailers adapt to drought conditions
Waitrose has told customers that heat stress and lack of rainfall might result in smaller vegetables. Calum Kelly, Produce Technical Manager at Waitrose, explained: 'In demanding weather conditions we relax size and shape guidelines for key veg to avoid waste and provide more income to our growers and farmers, many of whom we've worked with for more than 30 years. For example, baking potatoes might be a little smaller than usual this harvest if the drought continues. All these veg still taste great, but like many of us in a heatwave, they might just look a little less than perfect.'
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) indicated that Waitrose is not alone in this approach. Andrew Opie, Director of Food & Sustainability Policy at the BRC, said: 'Climate change continues to create challenges for retailers and their suppliers. Extreme weather, including drought, can affect crop yields and place upward pressure on prices. Retailers are experienced in managing supply disruptions and will take all necessary steps to minimise any impact on customers, including sourcing from alternative suppliers and expanding ranges of odd-sized produce.'
Food prices expected to rise
The impact may extend beyond less-than-perfect produce. The Food and Drink Federation (FDF), which represents UK manufacturers, predicts food will become more expensive in the coming weeks and months if the drought persists. Dr Liliana Danila, chief economist at the FDF, said she expects food inflation to rise. She told Metro: 'We will see an impact, but the impact is usually delayed depending on where it's coming from. So the less processed a product is, the faster the impact. If it's the cucumber that's just bought by the supermarket, then usually it just moves from the supplier to the supermarket. If it actually moves to the supplier through a processor and then through a manufacturer and then to the supermarket, that takes a much longer time.'
Dr Danila added: 'We do expect to see upward pressure on prices from this drought, and we think we'll start seeing that sometime in the last few months of the year and going into the next year, because again, it will be a gradual impact.'
Broader impact on dairy and meat
The drought could also affect dairy products and meat later in the year, as farmers are forced to use up feed they would normally save for winter during the summer due to dried-up fields. This could lead to higher prices for these products as well.
As the extreme weather continues, shoppers may need to adjust to seeing more imperfect produce on shelves, and potentially higher prices in the months ahead. Retailers and suppliers are working to mitigate the impact, but the full effects of the drought are expected to unfold gradually into next year.
