Supermarkets in the UK are facing unprecedented shortages of fruit and vegetables, which can be traced back to production issues in Southern Europe, caused by an unseasonal hot spell followed by an unusual cold spell.
In Morocco, for example, where farmers grow tomatoes that would typically be ripe and ready to pick in January, Steve Cornwell, owner of MBJSC Produce, said that he saw only green tomatoes. This phenomenon was replicated in other European countries such as Spain, Greece and Crete, where the temperatures dropped to as low as 4C overnight. The delay caused by the supermarkets’ failure to listen to Steve’s warnings meant that product was sold to other European countries instead.
Supermarkets are now calling Steve, desperate to fill empty shelves, and Lidl is the latest retailer to limit sales of certain fruit and veg such as tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers, following similar moves by Aldi, Tesco, Asda and Morrisons. Aldi and Tesco are limiting items to three per customer, while Morrisons is letting shoppers buy two of each item.
