THE sharp rise in energy and fuel costs could have a damaging knock-on effect for Jersey’s vegetable growers, leading to increased costs for consumers, growers have warned.
Paul Blake, of La Chasse Produce in St Saviour, said growers were turning down the heating in their greenhouses due to the increased cost of energy.
And the result was that vegetables were taking longer to grow and ripen – and are reaching the shops later than usual.
La Chasse Produce grows tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and courgettes under glass, much of which is then sold from Waitrose and Sandpiper outlets.
Mr Blake usually begins sowing his produce in October, with the first being picked around March. But he says he has had to reduce the temperature in his greenhouses by about 10%, so some produce did not develop as quickly as usual.
He said: ‘The fuel price crept up over the winter, but in the last six to eight weeks it has gone absolutely mad.’
He admitted the higher heating bills were causing a ‘very slight’ increase in vegetable prices but added: ‘We are covering most of the additional costs ourselves.
‘But we are not sure what’s going to happen in the future. We are trying to compete with UK and European producers, who are heavily subsidised.’
Mr Blake hoped customers’ loyalties and their preference for home-grown produce would help. He added: ‘I think Jersey people support local producers to a fair extent.’
But he said other growers had been experiencing similar problems.
Christine Hellio of Manor Farm in St Ouen said they used polytunnels for growing, but predicted that the rise in energy was going to lead to an increase in the price of vegetables.
She said: ‘Everything’s getting more expensive – fertiliser is a lot more expensive.
‘You can’t get your electricity for free or fill your car for free and it’s the same with food. There’s nothing that farmers can do except put prices up.’
She believed there should be more government support for farmers and growers but added: ‘I think farming is just being left. Unless it’s finance they don’t want to know.’
Peter Le Maistre of Master Farms in Grouville, who is president of the Jersey Farmers’ Union, agreed that the increase was having an impact on members.
He said: ‘It has been the same for growers as for everyone else – the cost of fuel has sky-rocketed.
‘We were expecting prices to increase by 30 to 40%. The current rise is close to double that.’
And he said growers with heated greenhouses were among those affected.
‘If you turn down the heating in your greenhouse by just a couple of degrees it can mean an awful lot of saving in the fuel you use. But obviously if you turn down the heating the vegetables will be later.’
However, he pointed out that, as the weather improved, energy use would reduce. ‘It won’t be until October that the use of fuel starts to go up again,’ he said.
