The secret supply of fresh produce

Once the hub of the community, the need for wholesale markets across the UK has been diminished by the power of the major retailers. On average, 60% of fresh produce is traded through supermarkets and the remainder through the wholesale markets. However, during times that threatened food security, such as the pandemic and extreme weather conditions, the wholesale markets were far quicker to pivot to new food sources and adapt to a new way of operating their businesses. For example, many hospitality suppliers turned their trades to online veg box orders and deliveries at the pandemic's start. The flexibility of the wholesale markets is assisted by the use of spot prices, whereby prices fluctuate based on supply and demand compared to long-term fixed prices. This allows buyers to support their growers while providing consumers with the produce they are asking for.

Our food sources should be resilient, reliable and relevant. However, the UK is currently not investing enough money into farming infrastructure to compete with foreign countries, this being paramount with the current reduced predictability of crops and produce. We think it is time for a paradigm shift within the industry, whereby we focus on different goals to boost economic potential while protecting members within the food supply chain. Encouraging more growers to adopt dynamic procurement within the wholesale industry would allow them greater profitability control and increase their ability to react in such a fast-changing environment.