Food shortages latest news: Shoppers blame Brexit for UK supermarket rationing

James Bailey, chief executive of Waitrose supermarket, said extreme weather rather than Brexit was to blame for the product shortages.

“It snowed and hailed in Spain, last week it hailed in North Africa – it’s wiping out a lot of these crops,” he told LBC radio.

“Give it about a fortnight and the other growing seasons in other parts of the world will have caught up and we should be able to pick that stock up again.”

The UK is facing shortages of vegetables, particularly tomatoes, after disrupted harvests in southern Europe and North Africa hit supermarket supplies.

Grocers said the situation has been exacerbated by lower winter production in greenhouses in Britain and the Netherlands due to high energy costs.

Although Britain is largely self-sufficient in summer, it typically imports 95 percent of its tomatoes and 90 percent of its lettuce from December to March, according to BRC data.

Asda, Britain’s third-largest grocer, said it had introduced a temporary three-pack limit on tomatoes purchases, while rival Morrisons said it would cap two items per customer.

Supermarkets across the UK have started rationing fresh food, which is expected to take “weeks”.

A poor harvest in Europe means Asda is now limiting its customers to a maximum of three items, such as peppers, lettuce and broccoli.

Morrisons will also launch a ban on more than two items from today, with limited products including tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce and peppers.

Rich Booth and Eleanor Noyce report.

Brexit has contributed to Britain’s deepening food supply crisis, which has resulted in “crippling” shortages of some goods in supermarkets, the country’s farm union has said.

The National Farmers Union (NFU) said the current shortage of eggs “could be just the beginning” and warned consumers could soon see shortages of tomatoes, cucumbers, pears and other fresh produce.

NFU President Minette Batters said Britain’s fruit and vegetable supply could soon be “in trouble” as she urged the government to help growers who are being hit hard by rising costs.

Shoppers have lashed out after reports of empty shelves in supermarkets across the country over the weekend.

Morrisons has acknowledged a tomato shortage and elsewhere reports a general shortage of fresh vegetables.

Andrea Cowan, the SNP councilwoman for Rutherglen Central & North, posted a photo on Twitter showing a shortage of vegetables at a site near her.

Not only British supermarkets are struggling with fresh produce shortages, stocks are also depleted in Ireland.

Tesco Ireland has reported that its stock levels have been temporarily affected, with locally owned chain SuperValu confirming similar problems.

Industry circles shared this BBC that the UK could suffer from lower domestic production and more complex supply chains alongside a price sensitive market. However, these sources suggest that Brexit is “unlikely”.

Wholesaler Ken Mortimer, CEO of Heritage Fine Food Company, doesn’t believe Brexit is the cause of the current shortages.

The impact of new border procedures for fruit and vegetable imports will not be seen until January 2024. Imports from Morocco – outside the EU – are already subject to border controls.

With hardly any fresh produce on UK supermarket shelves, not only are European growers struggling to cope with the storm, UK farmers are also being hit.

Tim O’Malley, chief executive of Nationwide Produce, one of the UK’s largest fresh produce companies, has warned customers of “major shortages” of domestically grown crops.

Britain’s carrot, parsnip, cabbage and cauliflower crops have been affected by bad weather, said Mr O’Malley.

“The biggest problem we have now as an industry isn’t inflation, it’s Mother Nature,” he said BBC.

National Farmers Union UK President Minette Batters has said post-Brexit cuts in farm subsidies have contributed to falls in production.

“For sheltered plant growers, those who grow [crops] Under cover, the price of gas means they’re mothballing a lot of their businesses,” Ms Batter told reports at the NFU’s annual conference. “We’re seeing huge contractions — the lowest production levels since 1985, when records began.”

Sharp increases in the prices of raw materials, labor and energy have also contributed to production declines in other areas of agriculture, including eggs. As Ms Batters notes, almost 1 billion fewer eggs were produced in 2022 than in 2019.

“Other sectors also face an uncertain future [subsidy] Payments are being phased out amid high cost inflation,” she added.

On Tuesday, ministers announced they would provide over £168 million in grants to farmers to fund innovation, animal health and welfare changes and environmental protection.

Supermarkets across the country have started rationing fresh food, which is expected to take “weeks”.

A poor harvest in Europe means Asda is now limiting its customers to a maximum of three items, such as peppers, lettuce and broccoli.

Morrisons will also launch a ban on more than two items tomorrow, with limited products including tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce and peppers.

Shoppers across the country have taken to social media to share their frustration after being unable to find tomatoes in their local stores.

Growers and suppliers in Morocco have had to deal with cold temperatures, heavy rain, flooding and canceled ferries over the past three to four weeks – all of which have impacted the amount of fruit reaching the UK.

Deliveries from Britain’s other major winter source, Spain, have also been heavily impacted by the weather.

Production problems in Morocco started in January with unusually cold nighttime temperatures affecting tomato ripening.

There were also weather-related cancellations of ferries, which had an impact on truck deliveries.

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“The situation is becoming worrying as some companies are struggling to meet their customers’ schedules,” said the Association of Fruit and Vegetable Producers of Almeria, Coexphal The mirror.

The UK is largely self-sufficient during the summer months, but typically imports 95% of its tomatoes and 90% of its lettuce from December to March.

Throughout 2022, UK grocers suffered from supply disruptions, mainly due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Before Christmas, however, stocks improved.

Elsewhere, Morocco banned the export of tomatoes, onions and potatoes to West African countries in February 2023 to drive down domestic prices and protect its exports to Europe.