Reuters reported this week that vegetable growers in northern and western Europe are thinking about stopping their work because of the continent’s energy crisis, which would threaten food supplies even more.
According to the report, the biggest cost for vegetable farmers who use greenhouses is the rising cost of electricity and gas. Two French farmers who wanted to renew their electricity contracts for 2023 told a news organisation that the prices they were given were more than ten times higher than in 2021.
Benjamin Simonot-De Vos, who grows cucumbers, tomatoes, and strawberries south of Paris, said, “I will plan the season in the next few weeks, but I don’t know what to do.” “If this keeps up, there’s no reason to start a new year. It can’t go on like this. “
Johannes Gross, the deputy sales manager at the German cooperative Reichenau-Gemüse, told Reuters, “Our production costs have gone up by about 30% overall. Some of their coworkers are thinking about leaving their greenhouses empty to save money. No one knows what will happen the following year.
The pain has also been made worse by the rising costs of fertiliser, packaging, and transportation. Even in sunny places like Spain, where there is a lot of sun, the cost of fertiliser has gone up by 25%, making it harder for fruit and vegetable farmers to make a living.
Farmers all over the EU are worried about shortages, so a report says that supermarkets may start buying more food from warmer countries like Morocco, Turkey, Tunisia, and Egypt.
