UK supermarkets are placing restrictions on their customers buying fruits and vegetables due to a supply shortage

British supermarket chain Asda I decided to impose Limit purchases of certain fruits and vegetables In response to the fresh produce shortages faced by the UK due to the supply crisis from Spain and North Africa due to the impact of low temperatures on production.

Thus, the retail distribution chain, Third largest in the UKhe decided that every customer would only be able to have it Three units max For a number of products such as tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower and salad bags.

“Like other supermarkets, we are witnessing Supply challenges in some produce grown in southern Spain and northern AfricaAsda spokesperson explained.

In addition to Asda, the Morrisons supermarket chain has also decided to limit the number of products each customer buys from tomorrow, a spokesperson confirmed to the news agency. Europe Press.

“At Morrisons, we start tomorrow A maximum of two items Each customer has tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce and peppers.

In this sense, the British chain confirmed that the growing season in the UK is thus entering “in addition to Finding alternatives to production from Spain and North AfricaMorrisons expects more British products to be on shelves soon.

Along these lines, Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, explained that difficult weather conditions in southern Europe and northern Africa have halted the harvest of some fruits and vegetables, including tomatoes and peppers.

While the outage is expected to last for a few weeks, the supermarkets are experts in managing supply chain issues and are working with farmers to Ensure that customers have access to a wide range of fresh products.Defend the expert.

For his part, said the supermarket manager WaitroseJames Bailey, credited to the station LBC This situation led to an “extraordinary meteorological phenomenon in Spain” as producers in the United Kingdom “did not operate their greenhouses due to high energy prices”.

According to the British Retail Consortium, The UK normally imports 95% of its tomatoes and 90% of its lettuce between December and March.

For his part, Nationwide Produce director Tim O’Malley warned last week that the sector’s biggest problem “isn’t inflation, it’s Mother Nature.”

“We are now seeing empty shelves and I can only see it getting worse in the coming weeks and months,” he states regarding the situation in the retail sector, while he expects difficulties with regard to wholesale food service to continue. .

For her part, Minette Butters, chairwoman of the English and Welsh Farmers Caucus at the National Farmers Union, on Tuesday pointed to the difficulties faced by High energy prices and labor shortages Represents UK Food Safety.

He pointed out in this regard UK egg production has fallen to its lowest level in nine yearswhile production of salad ingredients such as tomatoes and cucumbers is expected to fall to the lowest levels since records began in 1985.

Similarly, in the data collected before skynos“There will be challenges with the availability of some foods,” Butters warned, including peppers and other greenhouse-grown salad greens.

(with info from EuropaPress)

Read on: