'I'm struggling to think of a single British apple grower who is making any money right now': Fears for struggling industry
"Growers urgently need fairer returns from UK supermarkets to ensure the future of the British apple industry," she said, adding that the loss of apple and pear orchards has implications for biodiversity in the short term and"in the longer term - the next five years or so - it means fewer British apples in the supermarkets for shoppers".
"Retailers are completely committed to making sure we can't make any sensible profit, not even in the good years," he told the Reuters news agency. According to EU figures, in 2020, the UK imported around 84% of its fruit supply and if more growers give up on their orchards, that amount is likely to increase.The British Retail Consortium represents supermarkets, and its director of food and sustainability, Andrew Opie, said:"Supermarkets source, and will continue to source, the vast majority of their food from the UK and know they need to pay a sustainable price to farmers.
And the apples need to be kept at a certain temperature to maintain freshness, so last October his monthly energy cost per kilowatt hour was 450% higher than the previous year, he said.Cider-making, for example, uses different types of apples - theirs are traditionally harvested by machines rather than by hand, so they are not as reliant on seasonal workers.
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