UK farmers count cost as heatwave kills fruit and vegetable crops

Fruit and vegetables have died on the vine in the UK due to the hot weather.

Suppliers of fruit and vegetables have been counting their losses due to the hot weather.

It is feared that future hot summers could affect Britain's food security.

Vernon Mascarenhas, who runs the fruit and vegetable wholesaler Nature's Choice at New Covent Garden Market in London, said that it wasn't just fruit that was lost.

The heat had cooked the berries, so he had a shortage.

We didn't pick a lot of fruit during the week. There were a lot of problems. If there is more heat forecast, that would be a concern.

We thought we were going to have our best fruit season ever, but the heat has killed some of it off, so we don't know.

We could be in trouble if we get another hot spell.

Mascarenhas is worried that the apple and pear crop will be damaged by the hotter, dry summer.

I would be worried about the apples and pear in August. We will get the fruit, but it won't have grown. The sugars in the last growth spurt could make it slightly more acidic.

The sunny, warm temperatures mean we can grow fruit which previously couldn't be grown in this country. I will soon have my first fruit for sale.

Smaller berries will be on the shelves as they haveripened quicker in the heat. The British Berry Growers chairman said that with increased and sustained heat, yields will be a bit lower.

Suppliers and supermarkets are not hit by these losses because they have already signed contracts with growers, but farmers will be hit if they lose crops.

Farmers are worried about the viability of root vegetables because of the recent dry spell.

Tom Bradshaw is the deputy president of the National Farmers' Union.

Sugar beets and maize are showing signs of stress because of the lack of rain. Some farmers may be able to trade volumes of water with other farmers as a result of the Environment Agency's new measures.

Adding costs to livestock farming businesses at a time when costs are continuing to increase is what the dry weather has done.

With the forecast for more dry weather in the coming weeks, we will keep an eye on UK food production.