Food shortages – latest: Carrots, leeks and cabbages could run low in weeks as supermarkets ration

Growers also warn British-grown leek supplies could be exhausted by April

Brexit to blame for food shortages in Britain, chair of Save British Food says

Volumes of carrots, leeks, cabbage and cauliflower could run low “within weeks,” growers have warned.

Jack Ward, CEO of the British Growers Association, said: “The industry is beginning to see the negative impact of last summer’s extreme temperatures and drought on UK crops.

“Volumes are running low as a result of the weather last summer and the situation has been made worse by harsh frosts around Christmas.

“Consequently we may start to see stocks of crops like carrots, leeks, cabbage and cauliflower running low within the coming weeks.

He added: “Europe has also been hit by adverse weather conditions and so supplies from other parts of Europe may be difficult to source until the new crops start to appear around June.”

It comes after the Liberal Democrats called on the government to convene an emergency Cobra meeting after four of the UK’s biggest supermarkets put limits on the amount of fruit and vegetables customers may buy.

Tesco, Aldi, Morrison’s and Asda have introduced rationing, placing a cap of three items per customer on tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers.

Key points

• Carrots, broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower could run out ‘within weeks'
• Shortage 'could last until May’
• Calls for emergency Cobra meeting
• ‘Rare’ tomatoes on sale for £500
• Ukraine supermarkets full of fruit and veg as UK rations

[23 February 2023 19:10 · Jane Dalton]

Calls for emergency Cobra meeting

A Liberal Democrat MP has called for the prime minister to call an emergency Cobra meeting to respond to the “national emergency”.

Wera Hobhouse, Climate and Energy spokesperson, said it was “imperative that we see action now” and accused the government of turning a blind eye.

“It is unacceptable that the concerns of the farming industry are being ignored. Clearly, the Secretary of State is out of touch with the real world,” she said.

“Our supply chain issues cannot be fixed overnight by encouraging more domestic food production.”

[23 February 2023 18:49 · Jane Dalton]

Work more hours if you can’t afford food, Therese Coffey suggests

Tory cabinet minister Therese Coffey has suggested people struggling to afford their soaring food bills could consider working more hours.

Labour MP Rachael Maskell could be heard saying “that’s appalling” as the environment secretary replied to her concerns about food banks in York running out of stock:

[23 February 2023 18:15 · Maryam Zakir-Hussain]

Italian restaurants forced to remove items from menu as food shortages create ‘perfect storm’

Italian restaurants in the UK are being forced to change menus and drop meals as food shortages begin to hit the hospitality sector.

The UK has been hit with shortages since the weekend due to adverse weather in Spain and Morocco, transport problems and other factors. Among the food items affected are tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce and broccoli.

Asda, Morrisons, Lidl and Tesco are among major supermarkets rationing fresh produce, while the supply chain issues.

Thomas Kingsley reports:

[23 February 2023 17:30 · Maryam Zakir-Hussain]

Supermarket food shortages: Europeans mock UK shoppers with pictures of shelves full of fruit and vegetables

People living in Europe are sharing pictures of their packed supermarket shelves to lay bare the reality of Britain’s recent food shortages.

British supermarkets have been hit with shortages since the weekend due to adverse weather, transport problems and other factors, with Morrisons admitting to a lack of tomatoes and shoppers reporting difficulties sourcing fresh vegetables in other supermarkets.

Asda announced it will be limiting customers to a maximum of three items such as tomatoes, peppers, lettuce and broccoli in response to the problem.

Aldi confirmed it has also begun rationining fresh produce, a spokesperson.

[23 February 2023 17:05 · Jane Dalton]

UK food resilience ‘is currently gone,’ NFU says

The NFU said UK food resilience “is currently gone” as supermarkets have introduced a rationing system for fruit and vegetables.

NFU vice president David Exwood said: “We are repeatedly seeing a predictable combination of factors such as energy costs and weather leading to empty supermarket shelves. Our UK food resilience is currently gone. The government needs to take this seriously.

“Producers must have the confidence they need, working within a fair and transparent supply chain, ensuring fair and sustainable returns so they can do what they do best; produce nutritious, high quality British Food to meet demand from shoppers.”

(PA)

[23 February 2023 16:25 · Jane Dalton]

Coffey’s ‘let them eat turnips’ celebration of UK produce, says No 10

Downing Street said environment secretary Therese Coffey was setting out the importance of “celebrating” British produce when she appeared to suggest that eating turnips could help avoid fruit and vegetable shortages in supermarkets.

No 10 also rejected suggestions that Brexit was to blame for any shortages.

A spokesman said: “We don’t believe it is for us to tell people what they should or shouldn’t buy – that is entirely a matter for them.

“I think what the secretary of state was doing was setting out the importance of celebrating the produce that we grow here in the UK but, ultimately, it is for individuals to decide what food they wish to buy.”

Asked whether Brexit was having an effect on shortages, he said: “The industry and retailers themselves have spoken about the reason for some of the supply issues we are facing, notably poor weather in certain parts of southern Europe and north Africa.”

[23 February 2023 16:00 · Maryam Zakir-Hussain]

Disruption to food supplies likely to last for ‘a few months,’ fresh produce supplier says

Commenting on the food shortages, Paul Smith, Head of Sales at Oliver Kay, a leading wholesale supplier of fresh produce and ingredients to the hospitality industry, said:“If you couple the unprecedented weather conditions with the cost of living crisis, the war on Ukraine and the geopolitical issues of export bans, such as on salad by the Moroccan government to limit their own domestic food inflation, all of these factors have created a perfect storm, putting a strain on countries and companies.

“We have many contracts in place with growers which protect our customers to a certain degree, however these challenges are being felt right across the industry. Where the product is available to be harvested, we are receiving our contracted volumes.

“Where the product isn’t available to be harvested, we are seeing shortages. The nature of fresh produce means that it cannot be stockpiled, so any issue relating to availability to harvest is quickly felt within the supply chain.

“As is the way with fresh produce, as some products become easier to get hold of, others may become more challenging due to their growing cycle. It therefore may be that we will see disruption until the new season begins in a few months.”

[23 February 2023 15:30 · Martha Mchardy]

Supermarket rationing: which product are affected?

UK supermarkets have begun rationing selected fruit and vegetables as supply issues caused empty shelves across the country.

Bad weather and transport problems in Africa and Europe have left supermarkets with a low supply of tomatoes and other fresh produce.

Citrus (including oranges and lemons), brassicas (such as broccoli and cauliflower) and salad crops (cucumbers, lettuce and tomatoes) have also been impacted.

Volumes of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and aubergines are down by more than a fifth year-on-year in the key growing region of Almeria, according to Spanish growers association FEPEX. Courgettes have also been affected.

Retailers have warned that the shortages could last for weeks.

Martha McHardy reports:

[23 February 2023 14:36 · Martha Mchardy]

Head of Spain’s largest farming association points to Brexit as underlying cause of UK food shortages

The knock-on effects of Brexit are contributing to the food shortages hitting UK supermarkets, the head of Spain’s largest farming association has said.

Alfonso Gálvez, general secretary of the Murcia branch of Asaja, Spain’s biggest farming association said the vegetable season is unaffected in Spain, compared to the UK where some supermarkets are limiting customers to buying only three items of certain products.

“I’ve seen these articles but I don’t understand why they’re talking about shortages here,” he said.

Empty shelves in a UK supermarket (PA)

“Things are normal so far this season so I don’t know if it’s more a problem of UK logistics since the Brexit regulations came into effect. There’s enough produce to supply the market and the vegetable season is happening pretty normally.”

He acknowledged that rising costs have seen a drop in production for some growers and that frosts had affected some artichoke and lettuce crops, but Gálvez did not think it was serious or widespread enough to have significantly reduced market supplies.

[23 February 2023 14:24 · Martha Mchardy]

Food shortages present a ‘grave national emergency’, says Lib Dem MP

Food shortages present a “grave national emergency”, a Lib Dem MP has said.

In a tweet posted today, Wera Hobhouse MP for Bath said: “Food shortages present a grave national emergency, but the Secretary of State does not recognise it.

“In fact, the Government seems content in turning a blind eye to the urgency of the issue altogether.”

In parliament today, Ms Hobhouse also urged the government to hold a COBRA meeting over food shortages.

Food shortages present a grave national emergency, but the Secretary of State does not recognise it.

In fact, the Government seems content in turning a blind eye to the urgency of the issue altogether.

How to dodge a question 101 by Thérèse Coffey. pic.twitter.com/48G3iFIeW9

— Wera Hobhouse MP 🔶 🇺🇦 (@Wera_Hobhouse) February 23, 2023