PARIS, France : In northern and western Europe, vegetable producers are considering not planting crops due to the financial effects of Europe's energy crisis, which is threatening food supplies.
Crops grown in heated greenhouses, such as tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers, will be affected by the surging power and gas prices, as well as those in cold storage, such as apples and onions.
Endives are particularly energy hungry, as their bulbs must be stored in below-freezing temperatures and later replanted in temperature-controlled containers.
In Northern France, Emmanuel Lefebvre produces thousands of tons of endives on his farm, but this year he said he might abandon the crop because of energy costs.
In an interview with the Associated Press, Lefebvre said: "We really wonder if we harvest what is in the fields this winter." European farmers are warning of shortages, and the expected decrease in production and price hikes could cause supermarkets to switch to sourcing more goods from warmer countries, such as Morocco, Turkey, Tunisia and Egypt.
The prices of gas are the main costs for vegetable farmers who cultivate crops in greenhouses, but they have also been affected by rising costs of fertilizers, packaging and transport.
Johannes Gross, deputy sales manager at the German cooperative Reichenau-Gemse, said: We have an increased production cost of around 30 percent, as quoted by Reuters.
Some colleagues are thinking of leaving their greenhouses empty to keep costs as low as possible. He said that nobody knows what will happen next year.
The Greenhouse industry group Glastuinbouw Nederland said that up to 40 percent of its 3,000 members are suffering financially.
In sunny countries such as Spain and Portugal, fruit and vegetable farmers are facing a 25 percent increase in fertilizer costs.
Jack Ward, chief executive of the British Growers Association, said that the production of fruit and vegetables would inevitably shift to places with warmer climates.
He said that we will move production further south, down through Spain and into Morocco and bits of Africa.