British supermarkets selling Christmas dinner vegetables for just 5p a bag have warned that deep festive discounts risk undermining the country’s food production, as NFU Scotland calls for an end to aggressive price cuts.
Several major retailers have slashed prices on staple Christmas vegetables in recent weeks. Morrisons, Aldi and Lidl have all cut the cost of key festive produce to 5p per item, extending a trend seen in previous years when discounts intensified over the Christmas period.
Aldi and Lidl led similar promotions last year, but Mr Morrison confirmed that until December 26, loyalty card customers can buy a range of vegetables at deep discounts, including carrots, parsnips, Brussels sprouts and Swedish vegetables.
The union has written to major food retailers across the UK asking them to stop slashing prices on staple foods, especially vegetables, over the Christmas period.
In its letter, NFU Scotland said aggressive promotion risks devaluing food, giving consumers unrealistic expectations and weakening the long-term sustainability of domestic production.
NFU Scotland highlighted evidence from the Shelfwatch initiative that many major supermarkets continue to rely heavily on imported vegetables, as well as concerns about prices.
The union said this raises wider questions about food security and the resilience of supply chains, particularly where British produce is available.
NFU Scotland also reiterated its support for the timely rollout of the fair trading obligations under the Agriculture Act 2020, arguing that future legislation must protect good practice and ensure promotional pricing arrangements are fair, transparent and fair across the supply chain.
NFU Scotland chairman Andrew Connon said artificially low prices were hurting both producers and consumers. “Artificially low prices are not sustainable for any element of the supply chain,” he said.
“Aggressive discounting devalues food, creates waste, and widens the disconnect between consumers and the realities of food production.”
He warned that horticulture businesses were particularly at risk. “While the production costs of horticultural crops are particularly high and promotions are sometimes used to manage supply, it is essential that the process and subsequent contracts are fair and transparent,” he said.
Mr Connon added that NFU Scotland is urging retailers to adopt pricing strategies that “reflect the true value of food, support fair pricing across the supply chain and champion domestic production”.
The union said Shelfwatch’s data strengthened its engagement with retailers, enabling them to challenge sourcing decisions, strengthen their commitment to British produce and improve transparency for consumers.
This includes more direct dialogue with supermarkets, such as visiting retailers’ head offices to meet with senior representatives and advocate for fairer treatment of producers.
NFU Scotland acknowledged progress had been made during 2025 in building a more sustainable food supply chain, but warned that continuing to rely on aggressive festive discounts risked undoing that progress.
The union said retailers now have to choose between supporting domestic production or continuing practices that could undermine producer confidence and long-term food resilience.
