Lidl to sell ‘stunted’ vegetables to help drought-hit growers

Growers supplying the supermarket Lidl have been told their drought-affected crops will be sold in store, in a show of support to the discount chain’s British farmers struggling with the extreme weather conditions.

The hot, dry weather has reduced yields and stunted growth, which would normally mean the fruit and vegetables might not meet supermarket specification.

Carrots, onions, potatoes and apples are among the crops likely to be worst affected.

See also: Worst drought-hit farms face yield losses of 10-50%

But Lidl has vowed to prevent “perfectly good, quality produce” from going to waste and has written to its fruit and vegetable suppliers to offer support.

The supermarket said it would work closely with its suppliers to identify key crop challenges and, where possible, accommodate these products within its existing lines.

Ryan McDonnell, chief executive of Lidl GB, said: “While the crop coming out may look and feel a bit different to what we’re all used to, it’s still the same great British quality.

“We therefore want to show support for our suppliers by working with them to find solutions to help.”

Mr McDonnell said Lidl did not want to create a “false market” by using a separate “wonky veg” label for items that do not fit a certain grading.

“Instead, we have always strived to work collaboratively with our suppliers to ensure that we are flexible with variations in specifications at different times of the year,” Mr McDonnell said.

“However, now, more than ever, it’s critical that we and the rest of the sector get behind our suppliers.”

Lidl has urged other supermarkets to follow its example and support Britain’s beleaguered growers. The discount chain says it will have invested £15bn in its British suppliers between 2019 and 2024.

Waitrose has announced it will relax its shape and size guidelines for key fruit and vegetable produce, including potatoes, carrots, strawberries, apples and pears.

The supermarket said this will bolster its long-running “A Little Less Than Perfect” range, which helps growers struggling to meet specification during extreme weather.

Crooked carrots and other seasonal veg will also be diverted into Waitrose’s soups and smoothies, to avoid wastage.

Sainsbury’s and Tesco said they are supporting suppliers through their respective “Imperfectly Tasty” and “Perfectly Imperfect” ranges.

Morrisons acknowledged the pressure growers were under and said it was supporting its suppliers.

A spokesperson said: “We currently have 22 varieties of fruit and vegetables in our existing ‘Wonky’ range – where we take the whole crop from our farmers and offer larger, smaller and misshapen produce to our customers at a lower price.”

Martin Emmett, NFU horticulture and potatoes board chairman, said UK growers have worked “incredibly hard” during the difficult conditions to ensure high-quality produce is available to shoppers.

“Inevitably, there will be some impacts from the ongoing dry weather and some fresh produce may have a different size, skin finish or colour to usual, but we would encourage shoppers to continue buying their favourite veg and potatoes, as they will still be fresh, healthy and tasty.

“Many supermarkets already have wonky veg ranges, but we would urge them to continue engaging with their farmer suppliers and continue to show flexibility during this challenging time.”