The United Kingdom’s (UK’s) horticultural sector has gone through a number of major supply chain shocks in the last 18 months, including COVID-19 and Brexit.
The outcome of the U.S. election, Brexit and the ongoing challenges of COVID-19 to economies around the world. These are just some of the business issues facing fresh produce suppliers on both sides of the Atlantic.
Beyond the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the summer of 2020 might well be seen as something of a turning point for the United Kingdom in terms of international trade relations.
There hasn’t been a fresh produce supplier or farm in the UK that hasn’t been impacted by COVID-19. In some instances, it has shown how fragile our supply chains are — in others, how robust they can be.
COVID-19 has had a terrible impact in the UK, with the current death toll topping 26,000 (as of April 30) and the likelihood that we will remain in lockdown for the next 4–8 weeks.
The United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union almost 3 years ago. Two dates by when we should have left the EU have since passed. The latest of these is now set for the end of October.
