Kent's berry growers in jeopardy, with more people quitting the industry
That's according to a survey by the British Berry Grower's
Kent's berry growers are in decline, with more and more people quitting the industry.
It's due the prices that retailers pay remaining the same, while the cost of production rises.
As a result, just under half of growers across the UK are no longer making a profit, according to a survey by the British Berry Grower's (BBG), the body that represents 95% of the industry.
The BBG chair is Nick Marston and he is demanding change.
He said: "If we continue like this, with no change in terms of the returns to growers, then we will continue to see costs inflate and wages go up and as a result the industry will decline dramatically and that will be a real shame.
"More and more small and medium size growers will quit the business. It won't shake the industry, it won't create shortages but it's a size of things to come.
"On the high street a half punnet of strawberries went up by 27p while our growers, their returns over that periods, had only gone up by 3p.
"There really is a disjoint at the moment and it's important that retailers address that and work with our growers so they can become financially stable.
"It's up to the retailers and their growers to discuss the problem and solutions. I can't wave a magic wand but it's about having returns for the costs they are incurring and that's not happening at the moment."
The BBG research also found that 84% of all respondents estimate that they would survive just two years or less without making a profit, meaning four in 10 could go out of business by the end of 2026.
As a result, 37% of growers are considering reducing their production or moving out of berry farming entirely. For this reason, the BBG believe the UK could see a future massive reduction in the supply of fresh British berries for consumers.