The UK government has called in the country’s major supermarket groups to discuss how to restock shelves with salad items as the nation’s produce shortage enters its third week. Lidl GB, Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, and Aldi have all imposed customer purchase limits on tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers due to disrupted harvests in southern Europe and northern Africa. The crisis has been further exacerbated by less winter production in greenhouses in the UK and the Netherlands due to high energy costs.
Food and farming minister Mark Spencer will meet with the bosses of the major grocers on Monday to discuss what can be done to get shelves stocked again and avoid a repeat of this situation. Despite the limits, Lidl GB still has good availability across the majority of its stores, but has seen a recent increase in demand.
Theresa Coffey, minister for the environment, food and rural affairs, warned last week that shortages could last up to another month. She has been widely mocked for suggesting that Britons who cannot get hold of salad vegetables might want to consider turnips instead. Spencer commented that this crisis has shown how dependent Britain can be on certain trade routes for some types of food.
The UK government is now working with supermarkets to find a solution to the produce shortage. This includes looking into ways to reduce reliance on certain trade routes and increase production in greenhouses. In the meantime, customers are encouraged to be mindful of their purchasing habits and not to stockpile items unnecessarily. With the right measures in place, it is hoped that shelves will soon be restocked with the salad items that families need for their weekly shop.