Organic imports set to dominate UK
29 October 1999
Organic imports set to dominate UK
By FW staff
IMPORTED organic fruit and vegetables will continue to dominate UK sales thanks to high domestic labour costs, it was claimed last night.
The gloomy assessment came from Malcolm Isaac, the winner of the Royal Agricultural Society of Englands National Agricultural Award.
Speaking in London, Mr Isaac said: “The cheap labour costs of overseas producers will allow them to claim the lions share of the UK organic market.”
But the future is bright for small-scale organic producers, predicted the chairman and chief executive of Hampshire-based Vitacress Salads.
“Small organic farms, with their lower labour costs making full use of using family labour, have a distinct advantage over large-scale producers in this country.”
Predictions of the popularity 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 10%.”