Which vegetables are being rationed in YOUR supermarket? The retailers limiting sales as UK battles shortage crisis that could last another month
- Rationing has been introduced at four major British supermarkets this week
- Comes as Britons are scrambling to buy tomato seeds to beat the shortages
Vegetable rationing has been introduced at UK supermarkets amid a shortage crisis that could yet last another month.
Experts have warned of ‘sky high’ prices for vegetables after poor weather in Spain and Morocco caused a ‘perfect storm’ for British retailers, whom the UK is heavily reliant upon for food in the winter months.
The supply problems have also been attributed to transport disruption and high energy costs making British greenhouses more costly to heat.
Environment and Food Minister Therese Coffey today said the Government is anticipating ‘the situation will last about another two to four weeks’.
Meanwhile, Britons have this week been scrambling to buy tomato seeds to beat the shortages in supermarkets, with packets of them becoming bestsellers on Amazon.
Tesco and Aldi joined Asda and Morrisons to become the latest UK supermarkets to ration fruit and vegetables yesterday.
Morrisons has placed a limit of two per item on tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce and peppers.
Asda, meanwhile, has place a three item limit on tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, lettuce, salad bags, broccoli, cauliflower and raspberries.
An spokesman for the supermarket said: ‘Like other supermarkets, we are experiencing sourcing challenges on some products that are grown in southern Spain and north Africa.
‘We have introduced a temporary limit of three of each product on a very small number of fruit and vegetable lines, so customers can pick up the products they are looking for.’
Tesco announced yesterday afternoon that it was joining Morrisons and Asda in implementing a limit upon shoppers.
Customers are only permitted to buy a maximum of three tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers for a temporary period.
The supermarket said this afternoon that it was working hard with its suppliers to ensure a good supply of vegetables for customers in light of temporary supply challenges on some lines due to adverse weather conditions abroad.
A Tesco superstore in north-west London with empty vegetable shelves on Wednesday amid shortages
Empty shelves in the fruit and vegetable aisle of a Tesco supermarket in Burgess Hill, West Sussex, yesterday
Following suit, Aldi has also imposed a limit of three peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes.
It said supplies had been hit by disrupted harvests in southern Europe and north Africa
‘We are limiting purchases of peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes to three units per person to ensure that as many customers as possible can buy what they need,’ a spokesman said.
Waitrose says it is monitoring the supply chain but has no plans on buying limits for now.
Yesterday, at a store in Cambridge there was a notice next to the empty fruit and vegetable shelves blaming supply issues.
It stated: ‘Thanks for your patience. Supply issues are making it difficult to source some products to the high quality you expect from us. We’re working hard to bring you our full range as soon as possible.’
Co-op, Sainsbury’s and Lidl have each said they do not currently have any plans to introduce the rationing of vegetables.
It comes as Selaine Saxby, Tory MP for North Devon, suggested seasonal eating would help to solve the wave of shortages.
Selaine Saxby, Tory MP for North Devon, suggested seasonal eating would help to solve the wave of shortages
Ms Coffey made the warning during environment, food and rural affairs questions in the House of Commons today
Empty fruit and vegetable shelves at an Asda in east London. A shortage of tomatoes affecting UK supermarkets is widening to other fruit and vegetables and is likely to last weeks
During environment, food and rural affairs questions in the House of Commons this morning, she asked: ‘I wonder if my right honourable friend agrees with me that actually the supermarkets are still importing far too much produce for us and that actually we should be eating more seasonally and supporting our own British farmers?
‘And if we were actually to move to a seasonal line of eating, many of these problems would be avoided and that there are great food products available from local farmers at this time?’
Ms Coffey replied: ‘It’s important to make sure that we cherish the specialisms that we have in this country.
‘A lot of people would be eating turnips right now rather than thinking necessarily about aspects of lettuce, and tomatoes and similar, but I’m conscious that consumers want a year-round choice and that is what our supermarkets, food producers and growers around the world try to satisfy.’
Meanwhile, Britons have this week been scrambling to buy tomato seeds to beat the shortages, with packets of them becoming bestsellers on Amazon.
They are top of the list in the garden section of the online retail giant and dominate the top ten in the vegetable seeds section.
Some tomato seeds are also already out of stock at Asda and Tesco, while they have topped the bestsellers in vegetable seeds on the Waitrose website.
Is your favourite supermarket rationing fruit and vegetables?
Morrisons
Morrisons announced has put a limit of two per item for the following products:
- Tomatoes
- Cucumbers
- Lettuce
- Peppers
Asda
Asda has also introduced a limit of three each per customer of the following items:
- Tomatoes
- Peppers
- Cucumbers
- Lettuce,
- Salad bags,
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Raspberries
An Asda spokesman said: ‘Like other supermarkets, we are experiencing sourcing challenges on some products that are grown in southern Spain and north Africa.
‘We have introduced a temporary limit of three of each product on a very small number of fruit and vegetable lines, so customers can pick up the products they are looking for.’
Tesco
Tesco said this afternoon that it was working hard with its suppliers to ensure a good supply of vegetables for customers in light of temporary supply challenges on some lines due to adverse weather conditions abroad.
The UK’s biggest supermarket has introduced a temporary buying limit of three items per customer on tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers as a precautionary measure.
Co-op
The Co-op will not be restricting sales for now.
Sainsbury’s
The grocer has no current plans for rationing.
Lidl
Lidl has plans to put limits in place.
Aldi
Aldi is imposing customer purchase limits on salad vegetables after supplies were hit by disrupted harvests in southern Europe and north Africa
‘We are limiting purchases of peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes to three units per person to ensure that as many customers as possible can buy what they need,’ a spokesman said.
Marks and Spencer
M&S has no current restrictions
Waitrose
Waitrose says it is monitoring the supply chain but has no plans on buying limits for now.
At a store in Cambridge there was a notice next to the empty fruit and vegetable shelves blaming supply issues.
It stated: ‘Thanks for your patience. Supply issues are making it difficult to source some products to the high quality you expect from us. We’re working hard to bring you our full range as soon as possible.’
Iceland
Supermarket is yet to respond to MailOnline
Source: Read Full Article
