United Kingdom Fruits & Vegetables Market - Growth, Trends, Covid-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2023 - 2028)

United Kingdom Fruits & Vegetables Market - Growth, Trends, Covid-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2023 - 2028)

The United Kingdom fruit and vegetable market is projected to witness a CAGR of 2.5% during the forecast period 2022-2027.

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in increased awareness of healthy food among British consumers, which resulted in increased consumption of fruits and vegetables in the country. For instance, according to a study conducted by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, the consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables increased by 33% and 31%, respectively, in United Kingdom during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The production of fruits and vegetables in United Kingdom was 3,288.5 thousand ton in 2019, which decreased to 3,263.9 thousand ton in 2020. Hot summers and high unpredictable climatic conditions were the major reasons for decreases in the yield of various crops grown in the country, including vegetable crops.

According to the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, onions, carrots, tomatoes, and cauliflower were the most consumed vegetables in the country with 108 grams, 101 grams, and 84 grams, respectively, of average purchase per week in 2017.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the area under fruits and vegetable cultivation in United Kingdom was 149.5 thousand hectares in 2017, which increased to 154.5 thousand hectares in 2020. Peas, cauliflower & broccoli, and apple are the major crops grown in the country. The area under cultivation of peas and cauliflowers & broccoli increased by 5% and 3.1%, respectively, during the same period. However, the area under cultivation for apples has decreased by 2.1% since 2019 due to climatic changes. According to the Food, Farming, and Countryside Commission’s report, the country has to increase its area under cultivation for fruits and vegetables. This need for an increase in the production of fruits and vegetables is expected to drive the market in the future.

The consumption of fruits and vegetables is increasing in United Kingdom. The United Kingdom government is promoting the consumption of fruits and vegetables in the country. The government has implemented a fruits and vegetable alliance to boost the country's production and consumption of fruits and vegetables. This initiative has resulted in the increased demand for fruits and vegetables in the country, which has led to increasing import of these products in the country. For instance, according to the ITC TradeMap database, United Kingdom imported vegetables worth USD 4,165.5 thousand in 2017, which increased to USD 4,397.2 thousand in 2020.

British Growers, Bristol Food Producers, British Summer Fruits, Chris Rose Associates/Asplin's PO, Community Farm, and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Network United Kingdom are some of the members of this alliance. In 2017, an initiative called 'Peas Please' was started by various NGOs and WWF to promote the consumption of vegetables in United Kingdom. Retail stores, such as grocery shops and supermarkets, also joined this initiative to promote vegetable consumption by increasing marketing and prioritizing the in-shelf positioning of vegetables. The various initiatives taken to grow the fruits and vegetable market in the country will boost the fruits and vegetable consumption in United Kingdom.

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