The merits of protected cropping in NW Europe compared with field cropping or simple protection in the Mediterranean and N Africa

Growers in NW Europe face competition from imports, particularly of salad vegetables, from countries which enjoy higher solar radiation in winter, but it is in consumers’, producers’ and importers’ interest if NW European and Mediterranean growers can each concentrate on supplying the market in those periods of the year to which they are best suited, and to minimize overlap. The domestic producer's competitive position is expected to improve, despite rapidly rising costs.