VEGETABLE shortages could last for months as customers are warned to expect to pay more for certain goods due to a fall in UK production.
Tomatoes, cucumbers and salad may become rare in the coming months as numerous crops failed due to a perfect storm of high energy prices, rising wholesale costs and severe weather.
Some domestic growers have reportedly shut down heated greenhouses due to high gas prices, adding to a shortage of fruit and vegetables across the UK.
Meanwhile, Asda and Morrisons placed limits on how much customers can buy.
We previously told how the British Retail Consortium (BRC) said the issue was “industry wide” and blamed weather conditions in Europe and Northern Africa for impacting crops.
Minette Batters, NFU president, said: “Everybody wants to avoid rationing, effectively, which is what we saw with eggs in December.
“But I think there are going to be challenges on availability of some food items.”
Batters told The Times that this could include tomatoes, peppers, and other salad grown in covered, heated buildings
Tim O’Malley, from Nationwide Produce, said consumers should brace themselves for more price hikes and that the UK has a “proper storm brewing on a range of vegetable crops”.
He added: “After the warmest summer on record, the UK suffered a cold snap in December that saw temperatures countrywide dip as low as minus 8C for a prolonged period.
“This caused frost damage to various crops such as carrots, parsnips, cabbage and over-wintered cauliflower, resulting in many fields being written off.”
O’Malley added that this combination of factors could cause shortages for months.
Nationwide Produce said that the wholesale price of many products have more than doubled since last year. He previously said that prices were sky-high due to volatile growing conditions caused by climate change.
A box of tomatoes, which would normally be £7 this time of year, are costing around £14 this season. While yellow peppers, previously £8 a box, have jumped to about £22.
O’Malley added: “Depending on the crop, inflation would account for around 20 to 40 per cent of that [increase].”
