The UK is experiencing a severe fresh food shortage. It is causing major supermarkets to ration food with the situation expected to continue for the following two to four weeks.
Severe fresh food shortage in the UK
Following a winter of pricy electricity bills and the cost-of-living crisis, people in the UK are now subjected to a severe fresh food shortage. People are suffering to get hold of tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers. The situation could last for as long as a month. The situation is a result of multiple factors. Crops like tomatoes, brinjals, peppers, and cucumbers are grown inside greenhouses due to the low temperatures. However, there was lower production this winter due to the high energy costs associated with greenhouse production.
Therese Coffey, the nation’s minister for the environment, food, and rural affairs reminded people to turn to local veggies like turnips. “It’s important to make sure that we cherish the specialisms that we have in this country,” stated Coffey. “I’m led to believe by my officials after discussion with industry retailers. The situation will last about another two to four weeks. It’s important that we try and make sure that we get alternative sourcing options,” she added.
More on the vegetable crisis
The UK’s National Farmers’ Union (NFU) revealed the difficulty in meeting energy costs due to the Ukraine war and the reduction of Europe’s dependence on fuel from Russia. The UK relies on vegetable imports from warmer regions of Europe and Northern Africa, especially Spain. However, Span’s exports of vegetables and fruit were 10.4 percent lower than the year before. As per FEPEX, a Spanish exporters’ association, this is due to warmer weather in the early winters and the presence of spring frosts.
The fresh food shortage is leading food suppliers and supermarkets to have high negotiations. Additionally, some chain stores are limiting the number of tomatoes and vegetable customers can purchase. “The price of tomatoes has increased as much as fourfold in the past year, from £5 a case to £20 a case, according to the Federazione Italian Cuochi UK (FIC UK), a chefs’ association. The price of canned tomatoes has doubled, it said, from £15 a case to £30,” revealed a report in The Guardian.
