In the UK, tens of millions of pounds of fresh fruit and vegetables continue to rot as farmers fail to harvest. It is reported by Bloomberg, citing a survey by the country’s National Farmers Union (NFU).
The organization analyzed responses from about a third of the agricultural sector and found that 22 million pounds ($27 million) worth of vegetables and fruits rotted in the first half of 2022. Overall, more than 60 million pounds ($72.6 million) worth of food is likely to have gone missing. “It is incomprehensible that quality food is being thrown away while families across the country are already struggling to make ends meet due to the soaring cost of living,” said Union Vice President Tom Bradshaw.
About 40 percent of respondents in the NFU survey said they lost crops due to a lack of workers. The agency explains that hiring in the industry is seasonal and that farmers are paid relatively low wages for long hours of manual labor. The exit of Great Britain from the European Union also contributed – it became more difficult to recruit workers from Europe.
Abnormal heat has seriously affected agricultural production. The drought has reduced the harvest. Farmers expect production to fall another 4.4 percent next year. UK fruit and vegetable production in 2020 was estimated at around £2.7bn.
A similar situation with rotting food is observed in Finland. In early August, it became known that about two million tons of strawberries could remain unharvested in the country. The reason for the unharvested crop, which is about 15 percent of the country’s total harvest, was also the lack of employees.
