Yahoo News Supermarket rationing – latest: UK stores launch limits on food after shelves lay empty
UK supermarkets have started rationing selected fruit and vegetables as supply issues leave shelves empty across the country.
A combination of bad weather and transport problems in Africa and Europe has seen UK supermarket shelves left bare of tomatoes, as well as dwindling stocks of some other fresh produce.
Asda has introduced a customer limit of three on tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, lettuce, salad bags, broccoli, cauliflower and raspberries, and Morrisons said it would be introducing limits of two items per customer across tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, peppers from Wednesday.
Other supermarkets are understood to be considering similar temporary measures.
It is understood that retailers believe the problems stem from poor yields on the continent and north Africa, and that supplies will improve in the coming days or weeks.
Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, which represents UK supermarkets, said: “Difficult weather conditions in the south of Europe and northern Africa have disrupted harvest for some fruit and vegetables including tomatoes and peppers.”
Key Points
Asda announces food rationing on select items
Morrisons to begin limits on fruit and vegetables as supply issues
Why are supermarkets rationing food?
Why supermarkets had empty shelves over the weekend
22:04 , Eleanor Noyce
Shoppers have hit out after reports of empty shelves in supermarkets across the country at the weekend.
Morrisons has admitted a tomato shortage and a general lack of fresh vegetables is reported elsewhere.
Andrea Cowan, the SNP councillor for Rutherglen Central & North, posted a photo on Twitter showing a lack of veg at a site in her local area.
Read more:
Why supermarkets like Tesco and Morrisons had empty shelves over the weekend
Shortages reported in Ireland alongside UK, with Brexit “unlikely” to be a factor
21:00 , Eleanor Noyce
It isn’t just UK supermarkets that are struggling with fresh produce shortages: stock levels in Ireland have been depleted, too.
Tesco Ireland has reported that its stock levels have been temporarily affected, with locally-owned chain SuperValu confirming similar issues.
Industry sources told the BBC that the UK may be suffering on account of lower domestic production and more complex supply chains alongside a price-sensitive market. However, these sources suggest that Brexit is “unlikely” to be a factor.
Wholesaler Ken Mortimer, CEO of Heritage Fine Food Company, does not believe that Brexit is the cause of the current shortages.
The impact of new border procedures for fruit and vegetable imports will not be seen until January 2024. Imports from Morocco - outside the EU - are already being subjected to border checks.
“Major shortages” expected in domestically grown crops too, says fresh produce firm boss
20:30 , Eleanor Noyce
As UK supermarket shelves appear devoid of fresh produce, it isn’t just European growers that are struggling with severe weather: UK farmers have been impacted, too.
Tim O’Malley, managing director of Nationwide Produce, one of the UK’s largest fresh produce firms, has warned customers of “major shortages” in domestically grown crops.
UK crops of carrots, parsnips, cabbage and cauliflower have been impacted by the poor weather, Mr O’Malley stated.
“The biggest issue we now have as an industry is not inflation, it’s mother nature,” he told the BBC.
Cuts to post-Brexit farm subsidies contributing towards shortages, says National Farmers Union UK
20:00 , Eleanor Noyce
National Farmers Union UK’s president Minette Batters has stated that cuts to post-Brexit farm subsidies have contributed towards production falls.
“For protected crop growers, those growing [crops] under cover, the price of gas means that they are mothballing many of their businesses,” Ms Batters told reports at the NFU’s annual conference. “We are seeing huge contractions — the lowest levels of production since 1985, when records began.”
Steep increases in the price of raw materials, labour and energy have also contributed towards production decreases in other areas of agricultures, including eggs. As Ms Batters notes, almost 1 billion fewer eggs were produced in 2022 than in 2019.
“Other sectors are facing an uncertain future as direct [subsidy] payments are phased out against a backdrop of high cost inflation,” she added.
On Tuesday, ministers announced that they would provide than £168 million in grants for farmers in an effort to fund innovation, animal health and welfare changes, and environmental protection.
Supermarkets ration fruit and vegetables with warning over panic buying
19:30 , Eleanor Noyce
Supermarkets across the country have begun rationing fresh food items in a move which is expected to last “weeks.”
A poor harvest in Europe means Asda is now limiting customers to a maximum of three items such as peppers, lettuce and broccoli.
Morrisons will also start a ban of more than two items tomorrow, with limited produce including tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce and peppers.
Shoppers across the country have been sharing their frustration on social media after being unable to find tomatoes at their local stores.
Growers and suppliers in Morocco have had to contend with cold temperatures, heavy rain, flooding and cancelled ferries over the past three to four weeks – all of which have affected the volume of fruit reaching Britain.
Supplies from Britain’s other major winter source, Spain, have also been badly affected by weather.
Production problems in Morocco began in January with unusually cold night-time temperatures that affected tomato ripening.
These were compounded by ferry cancellations due to bad weather, affecting lorry deliveries.
Read the full story below:
Supermarket issues warning as it rations fruit and vegetables
“The situation is becoming worrying”, say Spanish farmers
19:00 , Eleanor Noyce
“The situation is becoming worrying as some companies are struggling to meet their customers’ schedules,” the Confederation of Fruit and Vegetable Producers’ Organisations of Almeria, Coexphal told Der Spiegel.
The UK is largely self-sufficient during the summer months, but typically imports 95% of its tomatoes and 90% of its lettuce from December to March.
Throughout 2022, British grocers suffered supply disruptions largely on account of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. However, before Christmas, stocks improved.
Elsewhere, in February 2023, Morocco banned the export of tomatoes, onions and potatoes to West African countries in a bid to decrease domestic prices and protect its exports to Europe.
Availability of produce down by 30-40%, catering supplier reports
18:30 , Eleanor Noyce
Following widespread supermarket shortages, catering supplier Reynolds has remarked that the availability of produce is down by between 30% and 40% on some crops, The Guardian reports.
Wholesale prices have increased by up to three times compared to normal levels in some cases, rendering not only empty shelves an issue in some UK supermarkets, but inflation too.
British supermarkets impose food rations as shelves lay empty
18:00 , Eleanor Noyce
Supermarkets across the UK have started imposing food rations after supply issues have left shelves bare.
Bad weather conditions and transport issues in both Africa and Europe have led to a limited flow of fresh produce coming into the UK.
Asda customers will be limited to buying just three items of certain fruits and vegetables, while Morrisons said it would be introducing limits of two selected items.
This video explains why produce is being rationed and what it means for customers.
British supermarkets impose food rations as shelves lay empty
Marks & Spencer confirms it is “monitoring” the situation, but has no plans to ration produce
17:25 , Eleanor Noyce
Marks & Spencer has confirmed that it is “monitoring” the situation, but that it has no plans to ration fresh produce.
“We’re monitoring the situation, but no current plans to introduce restrictions/rationing”, an M&S spokesperson told The Independent.
“Although we are not immune to the well-publicised issues across the whole industry, we are mitigating where we can through alternative supply routes.”
A combination of factors has been blamed for the current shortages, including supply chain issues caused by the Covid pandemic, soaring energy costs fuelled by Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine and a shortage of both permanent and seasonal farm workers due to Brexit.
Asda and Morrisons have both introduced limits on fresh produce.
Lidl, Sainsbury’s and Tesco not currently rationing fresh produce
17:01 , Eleanor Noyce
Approached by The Independent for comment, Lidl, Sainsbury’s and Tesco each confirmed that they are not currently rationing fresh produce.
However, customers have been complaining about empty shelves despite a lack of rationing policies.
Notably, SNP Councillor for Rutherglen Central & North Andrea Cowan took to Twitter on Friday to note a lack of tomatoes.
Picturing bare shelves, Ms Cowan wrote: “I’m sorry, @tesco this is not good enough in your Dalmarnock store on a Friday afternoon. Lots more shelves with empty boxes throughout the store. Rising prices are bad enough but lack of basic foodstuffs is unacceptable.”
Why supermarkets like Tesco and Morrisons had empty shelves over the weekend
16:38 , Thomas Kingsley
The Best for Britain campaign group said Brexit had hit supply chains over the past few years, and warned of empty shelves on a regular basis without an effort to remove trade friction with the EU.
“Brexit is not responsible for the adverse conditions which have impacted crops this year, but it has made UK supply chains less resilient and increased costs for both importers and exporters,” said chief executive Naomi Smith.
The campaigner added: “Like the £200 Brexit premium on annual food bills for Brits, empty supermarket shelves will become more common until the government faces reality and works to improve their shambolic Brexit deal.”
Brexit has added an average of just over £200 a year to Britons’ food costs over, according to a December study by the Centre for Economic Performance.
Why are supermarkets rationing food?
15:41 , Thomas Kingsley
Shoppers have hit out after reports of empty shelves in supermarkets across the country at the weekend.
Morrisons has admitted a tomato shortage and a general lack of fresh vegetables is reported elsewhere.
Andrea Cowan, the SNP councillor for Rutherglen Central & North, posted a photo on Twitter showing a lack of veg at a site in her local area.
A combination of factors has been blamed for the shortages, including supply chain issues caused by the Covid pandemic, soaring energy costs fuelled by Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine and a shortage of both permanent and seasonal farm workers due to Brexit.
Lea Valley, which stretches from Hertfordshire and Essex to north London, produced around 75 per cent of Britain’s cucumbers and peppers in 2020.
The area – dubbed the ‘cucumber capital of Britain’ – could see production halved this year compared with 2020 figures.
Read the full story below:
Why supermarkets like Tesco and Morrisons had empty shelves over the weekend
Which supermarkets are involved in rationing?
15:38 , Thomas Kingsley
So far Asda and Morrisons are the first supermarkets to announce they will be rationing food.
The shortages are understood to be resulting in industry-wide gaps on shelves in the UK, with producers further reporting needing to cut back on greenhouse numbers due to the spike in energy prices.
Morrisons will also start a ban of more than two items tomorrow, with limited produce including tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce and peppers.
“Like other supermarkets, we are experiencing sourcing challenges on some products that are grown in southern Spain and north Africa”, an Asda spokesperson said.
“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.”
Minette Batters, the head of the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), told Sky News: “Everybody wants to avoid rationing, effectively, which is what we saw with eggs in December.”
Supermarkets ration fruit and vegetables with warning over panic buying
15:35 , Thomas Kingsley
Supermarkets across the country have begun rationing fresh food items in a move which is expected to last “weeks.”
A poor harvest in Europe means Asda is now limiting customers to a maximum of three items such as peppers, lettuce and broccoli.
Morrisons will also start a ban of more than two items tomorrow, with limited produce including tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce and peppers.
Shoppers across the country have been sharing their frustration on social media after being unable to find tomatoes at their local stores.
Growers and suppliers in Morocco have had to contend with cold temperatures, heavy rain, flooding and cancelled ferries over the past three to four weeks – all of which have affected the volume of fruit reaching Britain.
Supplies from Britain’s other major winter source, Spain, have also been badly affected by weather.
Production problems in Morocco began in January with unusually cold night-time temperatures that affected tomato ripening.
These were compounded by ferry cancellations due to bad weather, affecting lorry deliveries.
Read the full story below:
Supermarket issues warning as it rations fruit and vegetables
Welcome
15:29 , Thomas Kingsley
Good afternoon and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of supermarket food rationing hitting shops across the country following empty shelves seen over the weekend.
