Organic fruit and veg outlook good
Organic fruit and veg outlook good
IMPORTED organic veg and fruit will continue to dominate UK sales for the foreseeable future, says Malcolm Isaac, chairman and chief executive of Vitacress Salads, Alresford, Hants.
"The cheap labour costs of overseas producers will allow them to continue supplying the lions share of the UK market," said Mr Isaac after collecting the Royal Agricultural Society of Englands Agricultural Award in London last week.
But he predicted a bright future for small-scale British organic producers. "Small organic farms, with their lower labour costs achieved through making full use of family labour, have a distinct advantage over large-scale producers in this country."
Predictions of the long-term popularity of organic food were wildly optimistic, he added. "Some supermarkets think organic food could account for up to 50% of the UK market but our prediction is nearer to 10%."