A vegetable supplier has revealed the real reason why supermarkets are facing food shortages at the moment, but independent sellers aren't facing the same problem. Simon Conley, who runs the Manchester arm of a Spanish import company, Fountain Fresh at New Smithfield Market, says that although the current tomato shortage is an issue, it's not solely down to "bad weather".
Instead, the problem began a while ago and has been brewing for some time. According to him, it's mostly down to the high prices that sometimes occur when harvests are bad, which supermarkets aren't always willing to pay.
The MEN reports that this is the reason why fruit and vegetable shelves are bare across a majority of supermarkets across the country. Simon said that supermarkets can get tomatoes, but how much they will to pay for them, and how much they think consumers will want to pay "is another matter".
