June Market Report 2024

31 May 2024

United Fresh News

Summer is always an exciting time for us at United Fresh. It’s no secret that we love British products, and this period of the year is (usually) abundant with them! It’s also the perfect time to showcase our products being taken care of and harvested, which is why we host several farm visits during this period (Stomping around a field is always easier in the sun). The visits are pivotal to educating people on how much effort, care and time it takes to get their food from the field to their plate.

If this is something you’re interested in, please reach out to your account manager who will arrange this for you.

We have also had the pleasure of welcoming another member of staff to our growing team. Keep an eye out on our socials for their official introduction and to welcome them to the team!

Sandy Booth, Managing Director of New Forest Fruit Company

Supplier Showcase

As we head into the season of Strawberries we had the pleasure of interviewing Sandy Booth, Managing Director of the New Forest Fruit Company, last month.

We spoke about a range of topics, including some issues they have faced and what they are excited about in the near future!

Read our interview here and check out New Forest Fruit’s website here!

June Market Information

June usually brings an array of seasonal products to our doors, but the agricultural sector continues to face significant challenges. Persistent rain since October has delayed crop planting and harvests, affecting the availability of parsnips, potatoes, carrots, and more. We are currently experiencing a notable supply gap in fresh produce during the transition between seasons, particularly in the UK and Spain.

The main items experiencing extreme shortages are parsnips, Tenderstem broccoli, and cauliflower. There is no set timeframe for when availability will improve, as the situation changes daily. However, we recommend using alternative products until around mid-June, when we expect availability to improve.

Recent heavy rainfall in the UK has severely impacted cauliflower and parsnip crops, delaying the start of the UK cauliflower season and shortening the end of the UK parsnip season. While the Spanish season remains on track, we face a noticeable supply gap, exacerbated by Spanish producers prioritising their local markets, resulting in minimal exports. Our options are limited unless we opt to pay high prices for the available Spanish supply or wait until the Spanish season reaches full production in a few weeks.

Unseasonably poor weather conditions in Kenya have drastically reduced the supply of Tenderstem broccoli to practically zero in recent weeks. While we are beginning to see a slight increase in availability from Spain, significant improvements are not expected until mid-June, with further stabilisation when the UK season is in full gear.

Carrots are another challenging subject, as the UK season is delayed and we have little in store. Most markets are procuring from China and seeing some brilliant quality come through. However, this supply is not as local as expected.

We are seeing some new season UK products starting to trickle in, such as swedes and new season mids. Both, however, are very pricey, with mids expected to increase further over the summer months due to late planting. The UK salad season was also delayed by the rain, and the Spanish season is coming to an end, creating a gap in volume. Though not as severe as the parsnip shortage, it is enough to warrant close monitoring until UK supply increases.