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UK: More than two-fifths of households with gardens start growing their own fruit and veg amid rising food costs

The group whose interest in gardening grew the most following lockdown were those aged 25 to 34 years old

Overall, those growing their own products feel they are saving on average £13 a month, the equivalent of £156 a year

By Sadie Whitelocks
Inews
Aug 12, 2022

Excerpt:

A survey commissioned by price comparison website comparethemarket.com found that more than two-fifths (44 per cent) of people with either a garden, allotment or balcony garden are growing their own produce amid rising food costs.

British food price inflation looks on course to hit 20 per cent in the first quarter of next year, U.S. bank Citi has predicted.

While Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is disrupting supplies of grain and vegetable oil, food prices more broadly have been pushed up by poor weather and rising energy prices, which increase the cost of fuel, shipping and fertiliser.

Of the 2,024 adults surveyed, 59 per cent said that the increased cost of living had changed their attitude towards gardening.

Almost a third (32 per cent) are planting more from seeds rather than buying seedlings or plants from stores, whereas others are growing their own herbs (29 per cent) and vegetables (29 per cent). One fifth (20 per cent) are growing their own fruit too.

Overall, those growing their own products feel they are saving on average £13 a month, the equivalent of £156 a year.

However, for 16 per cent of households, the strain on their finances from the cost-of-living crisis has meant they can no longer afford the upkeep of their garden and have had to stop or cut back on gardening.

Read the complete article here.