What's behind the fruit and veg shortages?

Sales of immoderate effect and vegetables person been constricted by 2 of country's largest supermarkets, Asda and Morrisons.

It's mostly down to atrocious upwind successful Europe and Africa, but determination is besides the smaller interaction precocious energy prices are having connected nutrient grown successful the UK and the Netherlands.

Asda has capped income of definite effect and vegetables astatine 3 items each per customer.

It applies to tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, crockery bags, cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflowers and raspberry punnets.

Morrisons has acceptable limits of 2 connected cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce and peppers.

Tomatoes and capsicum lines look to beryllium worst deed astatine some retailers but its unclear whether this is due to the fact that they are popular.

Other large UK supermarkets person besides been deed by the shortages but person not yet introduced limits for customers.

In the wintertime months the UK imports astir 95% of its tomatoes and 90% of its lettuces, astir of it from Spain and northbound Africa, according to commercialized radical the British Retail Consortium (BRC).

But Southern Spain has been suffering unusually acold upwind and successful Morocco harvest yields person been affected by floods, portion storms person led to ferries being delayed oregon cancelled.

It led to Morocco barring exports of tomatoes, onions and potatoes to West African countries earlier this period arsenic it tried to support exports to Europe.

The UK besides gets immoderate nutrient astatine this clip of twelvemonth from home growers and the Netherlands.But farmers successful some countries person chopped backmost connected their usage of greenhouses to turn wintertime crops owed to higher energy prices.

The shortages are lone expected to past "a fewer weeks" until the UK increasing play begins and supermarkets find alternate sources of supply, according to the BRC.

It added that supermarkets were "adept" astatine managing proviso concatenation issues and were moving with farmers to guarantee determination was capable caller nutrient for customers.

Anecdotal grounds suggests the UK has been bearing the brunt of the shortages, but problems person besides been reported successful Ireland. Other European countries look little affected.

Industry sources suggested the UK whitethorn beryllium suffering due to the fact that of little home accumulation and much analyzable proviso chains, arsenic good arsenic a price-sensitive market.

But they said Brexit was improbable to beryllium a factor.

The main interaction of caller borderline procedures for effect and rootlike imports volition not beryllium felt until January 2024 - portion imports from Morocco, which is extracurricular the EU, are already taxable to borderline checks.