UK swede looks set for a top-quality year while parsnips are facing a tight supply situation at the end of the spring.
The root vegetable picture for this season could not be more different from last. Swede in Scotland is of excellent quality this year, according to Andrew Burgess of Produce World.
"The swede I have seen in Scotland this week is about the best I have ever seen; good quality and colour, good shape and healthy foliage," said Burgess.
Produce World is a leading supplier for root crops in the UK, and most of its domestic swede crop is grown by a single producer in Scotland. "This season and last season are like chalk and cheese in terms of quality," said Burgess. "Scotland has had a better spring than England and this has been beneficial for swede." The hot summer of 2003, made last year a difficult one for the crop.
Produce World is hoping for a 12-month season for the first time for its UK crop as a new refrigeration unit will revolutionise storage and help extend old crop availability beyond May to meet the start of the new season in June/July.
Parsnip supplies grown mainly in England look set for a tough time this season though. "The later drilled crops have still got a lot of growing to do and we could be looking at things running tight at the end of the season in April-May," warned Burgess. "We have had a very poor summer and September and October have not been decent either. Normally we would expect parsnips to grow vigorously, but we have just not had the temperatures or the sunlight. Last season was too hot, this season it's been too cold."
Parsnip sizes are likely to be on the smaller side. "We are not seeing any oversize in the crop," said Burgess.
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