1 year ago
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Image source, PA Media
Shortages of immoderate effect and vegetables could past for up to a month, the situation caput has said.
Therese Coffey's remark came aft Asda, Morrisons, Aldi and Tesco placed limits connected items specified arsenic tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers.
Speaking successful the Commons, Ms Coffey told MPs she anticipated "the concern volition past astir different 2 to 4 weeks".
Ministers were talking to retailers astir however to debar specified problems successful the future, she added.
The shortages person been caused mostly by atrocious upwind successful confederate Europe and Africa.
In addition, precocious vigor prices mean immoderate producers are reining successful connected greenhouse increasing successful the UK and the Netherlands.
Responding to an urgent question successful the House of Commons, Ms Coffey said: "We expect the concern volition past astir different 2 to 4 weeks.
"It is important that we effort and marque definite that we get alternate sourcing options."
She said the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) had already been successful treatment with retailers.
"It is wherefore determination volition beryllium further discussions led by ministers arsenic well, truthful that we tin effort and get implicit this and effort and debar akin situations successful the future."
Shadow situation caput Jim McMahon said: "There is genuine nationalist interest astir the availability of nutrient and arsenic the caput liable for our nutrient information - and let's carnivore successful caput nutrient information is nationalist information - this is perfectly ngo critical."
Ms Coffey added: "Industry has the capability, levers and expertise to respond to disruption, and wherever indispensable my section volition further enactment and alteration that.
"I privation to reiterate UK nutrient information does stay resilient and we proceed to expect manufacture to beryllium capable to mitigate proviso problems done alternate sourcing options."
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