OUR energy crisis as well as inflationwhich constantly remains at an unreasonable level, have caused great problems, among other things, agricultural sector. However, according to the Reuters news agency, the problems faced by farmers in southern and western europe causing some of them to even consider whether to grow this season.

At the same time, they warn that the Old Continent will face a shortage of agricultural products in winter, since if European crops are limited, imports from other countries will not be able to compensate for the shortage. And those imports will come from warmer climates such as Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco, where supermarket chains across Europe will turn to for supplies.

Its ever-rising prices electricity and his natural gas they will affect foods grown in greenhouses during the winter, such as tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers, as well as those that must be kept cold, such as apples, onions, and radishes.

Emmanuel Lefebvre, who has a large radish area in the south of France, said he is seriously considering not harvesting his crop this year due to the cost of maintaining his product. Caring for radishes is especially energy-intensive. After the bulbs are harvested in the fall, they are stored at low temperatures and then transplanted into temperature controlled containers to grow for about a year. “We are really wondering if we are going to harvest all the crops in the fields this winter,” Lefebvre told Reuters. Rising natural gas prices have become unaffordable and are the biggest problem for greenhouse farmers. On the other hand, as two French farmers point out, when they extended their electricity supplier contracts into 2023, they had to pay ten times what they paid in 2021. And the problems do not end there, because the accuracy amazed everyone. from fertilizer to packaging and transportation.

The surge in energy costs makes it unprofitable to grow fruits and vegetables in greenhouses.

“In the next few weeks I will be planting for next season, but I don’t know what to do. If the situation remains the same, there is no point in starting a new culture. It’s unsustainable,” says Simon de Vos, who grows cucumbers, tomatoes and strawberries south of the French capital. “Total production costs are almost 30%,” says Johannes Gross, Deputy Sales Director of the German cooperative Reichenau-Gemise. He points out that between half and two-thirds of these additional costs are for energy. “Some colleagues are considering not placing food in their greenhouses to keep costs as low as possible. Nobody knows what will happen next year,” he concludes.

For its part, the Dutch greenhouse association Glastuynbuv Nederland reports that up to 40% of its 3,000 members are experiencing financial difficulties. Even in countries like Spain, fruit and vegetable farmers report that the cost of fertilizer has increased by 25%. Jack Ward, chief executive of the British Farmers’ Union, notes that shifting fruit and vegetable production to a warmer climate is inevitable. “We will move production further and further south, through Spain, that is, in Morocco and parts of Africa,” he concludes.