In Great Britain, the country’s largest supermarkets, Tesco, Asda, Aldi and Morrisons, limit the sale of certain fruits and vegetables.
At Tesco and Aldi, customers could buy just three portions of tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers per person, while Asda introduced a quantity limit for lettuce, packaged lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower and berries in addition to tomatoes and peppers. And at Morrisons, you can buy just two pieces of cucumber, tomato, lettuce, and pepper per person.
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Former CEO of Sainsbury’s, Justin King A BBCHe said, restrictions were introduced so that They prevent the purchase of shares by other retail tradersbecause – he said – if the wholesalers run out, even the street greengrocers will take the goods from the supermarket shelves.
Why is there a shortage?
According to the British Retail Confederation (BRC), the UK imports about 95 percent of its tomatoes and 90 percent of its lettuce during the winter months, mostly from Spain and North Africa. However, southern Spain has recently experienced unusually cold weather, flooding in Morocco has reduced crop yields, and sea transport services have been delayed or canceled due to storms.
Partially a supplier to the UK, the Netherlands can provide refuge in the event of a shortage, but as electricity prices have skyrocketed due to the energy crisis, farmers have withdrawn the use of greenhouses to grow winter crops.
The old system may be back in a few weeks
According to the BRC, the shortage is only expected to last a few weeks until the growing season begins in the UK and supermarkets find alternative sources of supply.
Union experts say supermarkets are adept at managing supply chain issues and working with farmers to ensure there is enough fresh produce available for customers.
