Should Christmas be more expensive this year?

The newspapers are saying that Christmas dinner will be more expensive this year due to the weakness of the pound, yet the wholesale price of many vegetables in down by 30-50%. Are we, or the farmers, being ripped off? If we buy UK grown produce should the value of the pound effect us?

Many newspapers have reported increases in the price of food with the Daily Mail reporting a 16% rise due to increases in the prices of potatoes, carrots and Brussel Sprouts. This seems amazing when a farm shop owner, and veg grower, phoned me to say that last year he was getting £9/10kg bag for his Brussel Sprouts but this year only being offered £4.60/10kg bag. Wholesale potato and carrot prices are also less than last year.

So: Are the newspapers wrong, or are supermarkets buying from farmers at the lower price and marking up because they know consumers will pay?

Buy fresh, ‘picked today’ from your local farm shop

Probably a bit of both and typical of a food industry manipulated by marketing and supermarket power.

To avoid the scams please buy from your local farmer. The farm shop owner above is selling his Brussels 20% cheaper than the supermarket and making a good return. A return that encourages him to grow a wider variety of produce for local customers.

If we all bought British, or local seasonal food, we should not have to worry about the value of the pound affecting food prices.