It is anticipated that consumption and retail sales should pick up from this week onwards with the return of students to schools after the summer break.

And the hot weather and lack of rainfall over the past few months have led to numerous reports that yields of main-crop Roosters will be significantly reduced in many areas.

New-season Queens are currently in the region of €4.60 to €5.50 ex-farm for 10kg bags. Meanwhile, meetings are currently ongoing with packers and retailers regarding new-season crops.

Increased costs

It is essential that increased production costs be reflected in the new-season prices. Growers cannot sustain another year of highly inflated production and storage costs. Full price reporting will return shortly, as we are currently in an interim period for new-season crops.

Across Europe, heavy rain storms (25mm to 60mm) through France, Germany, Belgium and up through Holland have given some hope, but agronomists are now waiting to see how crops react.

Dry conditions

Conditions in France are described as “historically dry” and in Germany groundwater levels are “the lowest since 1881” with rainfall this year similar to and slightly below 2018.

Thunderstorms have hit some areas in the UK, but they are believed to be too little too late in many scenarios.

Unirrigated crops are unlikely to benefit at this point, but the rain provides a lifeline for crops that had been regularly irrigated up to now.

Some areas down through England received 25mm to 50mm, but there are also many areas from Yorkshire down through the midlands to Cornwall and across to the east where totals were only a few millimetres and irrigation remains essential before lifting.