How can market gardeners not be making money in 2023?

1. Price Pressure: Large supermarket chains have significant bargaining power and often demand lower prices from farmers for their products. This price pressure can lead to diminished profits for farmers, making it difficult for them to cover their costs and invest in their businesses.

2. Consolidation of Retailers: The consolidation of grocery retailers has resulted in fewer buyers for farmers' products. This reduced competition among buyers can further decrease the prices farmers receive for their goods.

3. Globalisation: The globalisation of food supply chains has increased competition among farmers worldwide. This can make it challenging for local farmers to compete with large-scale, low-cost producers in other countries.

4. Direct-to-Consumer Challenges: While some farmers have tried to bypass supermarkets by selling directly to consumers through farmers' markets, community-supported agriculture (CSA), or online platforms, these channels can present their own challenges, such as increased marketing and distribution costs.

5. High Input Costs: The cost of inputs, such as seeds, fertilisers, and pesticides, has risen over time, making farming more expensive. Additionally, the reliance on expensive equipment and technology can put further financial strain on farmers.

6. Regulatory Burden: Farmers often face a complex web of regulations and standards, which can be time-consuming and costly to navigate. Compliance with these regulations can add to their financial burden.

7. Climate Change and Weather Volatility: Climate change has led to increased weather volatility and extreme events, such as droughts, floods, and storms. These can devastate crops and livestock, resulting in financial losses for farmers.

8. Debt and Access to Credit: To cope with these challenges, many farmers have taken on debt to finance their operations. However, high debt levels can make it difficult for farmers to access credit when needed, further exacerbating their financial struggles.

In summary, factors such as price pressure from supermarkets, consolidation of retailers, globalisation, direct-to-consumer challenges, high input costs, regulatory burdens, climate change, and debt have contributed to the financial difficulties faced by farmers. These challenges have led to many farmers losing out to commercial supermarkets and facing the risk of going broke.