Every Easter and Christmas, UK supermarkets compete in headline-grabbing price cuts on seasonal vegetables, slashing staples like carrots, parsnips, and potatoes to as little as 8p per bag. Asda, Aldi, and Lidl have all participated in what’s now an annual ritual of “veg wars,” designed to drive footfall and demonstrate value to shoppers.
This Easter was no different. As reported by Fresh Produce Journal, retailers dropped the price of popular Easter veg to 8p again, with Asda offering 1kg of carrots, 500g of parsnips, and swedes at rock-bottom prices. “We want to help our customers enjoy the Easter celebrations, and by dropping the prices on key Easter veg, they can pick up everything they need for an Easter roast without worrying about the cost,” said Asda’s fresh produce buying manager Ade Adepitan.
But behind the attractive prices lies a growing concern within the industry: what are these discounts doing to consumer expectations, and who’s absorbing the real cost?
“It comes at a cost,” says one Lincolnshire grower in The Guardian, responding to similar promotions at Christmas. “The reality is that these campaigns erode the value of vegetables in the eyes of consumers and put massive pressure on growers.”
Supermarkets often clarify that they bear the brunt of these promotional campaigns. An Asda spokesperson told The Grocer, “These promotions are funded by the supermarket as part of a wider investment in keeping costs low for families.” They are quick to assure that growers are not paid less and that farmgate prices remain unaffected.
But that doesn’t tell the whole story. While the price paid per unit may not change, the ripple effect is hard to ignore. Producers operate in a market where perception shapes value. Regular 8p promotions shift what shoppers expect to pay for produce – and what they believe it's worth. When prices return to normal, it’s no surprise that demand can take a hit.
The British Growers Association and the NFU have both warned about the long-term impacts of such pricing tactics. “These price cuts might not come directly out of farmers' pockets today, but they do set a dangerous precedent,” said NFU horticulture board chair Martin Emmett. “Margins in fresh produce are already razor-thin. When we devalue veg like this, it chips away at already fragile supply chains.”
The statistics support this concern. According to The Guardian, the area of land dedicated to potato production in Great Britain has dropped 20% over the last five years. Growers are scaling back operations or leaving the sector altogether due to rising costs and unpredictable returns.
Add to that the ongoing labour shortages, high input costs, extreme weather events, and increased compliance burdens, and it’s easy to see why many in the industry are anxious.
Yes, these promotions bring shoppers through the doors, but at what cost to the long-term sustainability of the UK’s fresh produce sector? Supermarkets may frame it as a loss-leading investment, but unless that loss is truly internalised, someone else – most often the grower – ends up footing the bill indirectly.
“The weekly shop is already a stressful task for many,” writes The Guardian. “But encouraging expectations of extreme discounts risks pushing suppliers further into the red – or out of the industry altogether.”
If we want a future where British-grown veg continues to be available, we need pricing models that reflect the true cost of production, not just what looks good in seasonal marketing. Retailers, suppliers, and policymakers must collaborate to strike a balance between affordability for consumers and viability for those who grow our food.
For a resilient supply chain, valuing the work that goes into produce needs to be paramount - because it’s not only about what veg costs today, but whether the supply chain behind it will still be standing tomorrow.
I sit on the Operations desk here at MorePeople, and being fully immersed in the Food & Fresh Produce Industries, I frequently hear how trends and ploys are affecting those working in the industry. Want to discuss your next career move within the sector? Or looking to expand your team? Get in touch with me to find out how we can help!
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📩 india@morepeople.co.uk
