In UK green vegetable and potato crops grow very early because of the mild autumn, causing a glut and a large amount of waste, and fears of shortages early next year.
Cabbages, cauliflower, and broccoli, which were supposed to be ready later in December or in January, are now ready to harvest. Furthermore, some of them have grown to huge sizes because of the exceptionally mild autumn.
Farmers have been growing vegetables for decades and say they have never seen anything like this before. They have had to “tear up” their sowing and harvesting timelines due to the unpredictable climate.
For example, Guy Singh-Watson, the founder of the organic vegetable box company Riverford, said he had hundreds of tonnes of surplus vegetables due to the “astonishing” weather. As a consequence, he is working with FareShare, a charity that distributes surplus food to those in poverty, to get the extra brassicas and potatoes to those who need them.
He told the Guardian: «The climate is changing very quickly. This is the first time in 35 years we have been so far adrift, due to the extraordinary weather. I hope that I never see this again».
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