Grocery chain Asda is rationing sales of some fruit and vegetables after a bad harvest in southern Spain and north Africa led to gaps on supermarket shelves.

 

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Edited by| Paul Mitchel

  Economic section  CJ journalist

Europe – 21 Feb 2023   

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Asda, the UK’s third-largest grocer, has begun limiting purchases to three of each product across tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, lettuce, salad bags, broccoli, cauliflower, and raspberries.

Other retailers may follow suit after cold weather in key agricultural locations disrupted harvests, with the impact expected to last for weeks.

Shoppers in the UK have been posting pictures on social media of empty shelves in vegetable aisles across multiple supermarkets.

Grocers become more reliant on imports around this time of year, particularly from sunnier places such as Spain. British horticultural production normally only starts in late March or April and domestic supplies have already been hit by labor shortages and the higher cost of energy and fertilizer.

There have been several reports of empty shelves at other UK supermarkets in recent days, for example:

The National Farmers’ Union has warned that farmers have been hit by rising costs, labor shortages, bird flu, and post-Brexit changes to support payments, creating “volatility, uncertainty, and instability” across the industry.

“The fact remains, volatility, uncertainty, and instability are the greatest risks to farm businesses in England and Wales today.

Batters warned that salad production could hit the lowest in decades

Production of salad ingredients like tomatoes and cucumbers is expected to fall to the lowest levels since records began in 1985

She also called on the government for dedicated support for the energy-intensive sectors of agriculture and horticulture, saying:

The situation seems ridiculous. The Royal Botanical Gardens, as important as they are, qualify for the scheme. But the protected crop sector – those growing tomatoes, cucumbers, aubergines, and peppers to feed British families – don’t.