It is a familiar story in the protected edibles. The commercial threat of discount retailers such as Aldi and Lidl has driven down prices. In terms of the sweet pepper market, this has led to deflation over the last 18 months, with a 7 per cent decline in total turnover; last year the UK sweet pepper market was worth around ￡300 million. Estimates for proportion of the market supplied with British crop vary, but 60 per cent of UK production comes from the Lea Valley. Imports from The Netherlands, Spain, Israel and Morocco make up the balance.
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