Massive quantities of fresh fruit and vegetables continue to spoil in Britain as farmers struggle to harvest due to labor shortages and other pressures, according to a Bloomberg report that cites a survey by the National Farmers Union (NFU).
The NFU estimates that vegetables and fruits worth about £60 million ($72.6 million) were left to rot in the first half of this year. The figure highlights a troubling mismatch between supply and demand at a time when households across the country are facing higher living costs and tighter budgets.
NFU vice-president Tom Bradshaw described the situation as baffling, noting that good food is being discarded while many families struggle financially. He urged attention to the factors driving waste as part of a broader food security and affordability conversation.
Several factors contributed to the harvest shortfall. Labor shortages across farms played a major role, a problem intensified by the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union, which has made it harder to recruit seasonal workers from Europe. Weather also played a part, with abnormal heat stressing crops and complicating harvest timing.
The issue is not isolated to the UK. Similar patterns of crop spoilage and unharvested fruit and vegetables have been reported in Finland, where two million tons of strawberries were left unpicked in a recent period. In Finnish farming communities such as Paimio, growers are actively seeking workers to harvest crops, yet attempts so far have fallen short. Some farms are considering Thai migrant workers as an option, but it remains uncertain whether this will help salvage the harvest at this stage.
Analysts and industry observers say the same forces—labor shortages, rising costs, and extreme weather—could affect produce availability and prices in other markets as well. The ongoing challenge underscores the need for coordinated strategies to secure harvest labor, streamline processing and distribution, and reduce food waste, thereby protecting both farmers’ livelihoods and consumer affordability.