Warning issued to shoppers buying broccoli or cauliflower

A shortage of cauliflower and broccoli could hit the UK this year due to growing conditions over the autumn and winter. The crops are beginning to bloom early which will cause an issue when spring arrives.

According to crop experts, the mild autumn and early winter is the reason for crops blooming early. This means there may be less vegetables to eat as the warmer months creep up. The experts also warn that British crops of cauliflower are suffering due to heavy rains which can damage crops and cause losses.

Hannah Croft, who works for the organic vegetable company Riverford, told the Guardian: “Our Spanish suppliers, who grow much of our winter broccoli, have faced setbacks due to heavy autumn rain, which caused quality issues and delayed planting for spring crops. This has pushed harvest schedules forward, meaning there’s a possibility of a gap in late spring.”

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She continued: "British cauliflower crops are suffering. UK cauliflowers have faced weather challenges including significant rainfall in autumn, which caused some losses in early crops, while mild temperatures brought winter cauliflowers ahead of schedule."

Peter Adams, a horticulturist at RHS Rosemoor in north Devon, said that due to "the winter wet and local pigeon and slug populations”, all the cauliflower at the site had been destroyed. And it will be hard to supplement any vegetables." This is because, with crops from the continent, floods in key growing areas are preventing many farmers from planting in time for a spring harvest.

Guy Barter, who is Chief Horticulturalist at the Royal Horticultural Society, had a similar experience in his own personal allotment. He discovered that his winter cauliflower, expected to bloom in April, had already fully developed by the first week of January.