Supermarket rationing - latest: Tesco joins Asda, Aldi and Morrisons by introducing limits

Tesco has joined other supermarkets in limiting sales of certain fruit and vegetables as shortages have left shelves stripped bare.

Britain’s biggest supermarket has introduced a cap of three items per customer on tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers.

The news comes as retail experts have warned food shortages could “last for weeks,” with the government told that the “clock is ticking”.

National Farming Union (NFU) president Minette Batters said this week at the NFU conference that the production of tomatoes and cucumbers is expected to drop to “the lowest levels since records began in 1985”.

She told the government the “clock is ticking” to action the post-Brexit subsidy scheme and get inflation under control so farmers can produce more reliably.

But environment secretary, Theresa Coffey, rejected responsibility for the current supermarket rationing of fruit and vegetables, saying: “We can’t control the weather in Spain.”

In the winter months, the UK imports around 95 per cent of its tomatoes and 90 per cent of its lettuces, most of it from Spain and north Africa.

Key Points

• Tesco and Aldi join rivals in rationing salad vegetables

• Brexit worsens UK food shortages, farming group claims

• Supply ‘hurt horribly by Brexit’, says former Sainsbury’s CEO

• Shortages reported in Ireland alongside UK

• Why are supermarkets rationing food?

Supermarket rationing could last for weeks, retail experts warn

Wednesday 22 February 2023 18:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Food shortages in supermarkets could “last for weeks,” retail experts have warned as the government is told the “clock is ticking”.

Tesco joined Asda, Aldi and Morrison’s as the latest supermarket to ration fresh produce as shelves across the country lay empty.

National Farming Union (NFU) president Minette Batters said this week at the NFU conference that the production of tomatoes and cucumbers is expected to drop to “the lowest levels since records began in 1985”.

She told the government the “clock is ticking” to action the post-Brexit subsidy scheme and get inflation under control so farmers can produce more reliably.

But environment secretary, Theresa Coffey, rejected responsibility for the current supermarket rationing of fruit and vegetables, saying: “We can’t control the weather in Spain.”

My colleague Maryam Zakhir-Hussain has more:

Supermarket rationing could last for weeks, retail experts warn

Which supermarkets are rationing tomatoes?

03:39 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Supply issues are leaving UK supermarkets with shortages of tomatoes and other fresh produce.

Due to a combination of factors including bad weather and transport problems in Africa and Europe and supply chain issues, shoppers have been met with empty shelves since last weekend.

Asda announced it will be limiting customers to a maximum of three items such as tomatoes, peppers, lettuce and broccoli in response to the problem.

Morrisons will also start a ban on more than two items, limiting purchases of tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce and peppers.

Kate Plummer reports.

Which supermarkets are rationing tomatoes and other fresh food products?

Shelves left bare after supply issues lead to supermarket rations

Wednesday 22 February 2023 21:45 , Eleanor Noyce

Supply chain issues have forced supermarkets across the UK to impose food rations on their customers.

This footage shows shelves left bare after a combination of bad weather conditions and transport issues led to chaos.

Asda customers will be limited to buying just three items of certain fruits and vegetables.

Similarly, Morrisons said it would be introducing limits of two selected items.

While initially, it was tomatoes that were short of supply, the issues have now spread to other fruits and vegetables.

Watch:

Shelves left bare after supply issues lead to supermarket rations

Tesco issues six-day warning to anyone who uses a Clubcard

Wednesday 22 February 2023 21:15 , Eleanor Noyce

Tesco has issued a voucher-expiry warning to its Clubcard customers as food prices remain at painfully high levels and shelves are depleted of fresh produce – with consumer expert Martin Lewis chiming in to offer a hack of his own.

More than 20 million people in the UK currently hold a Tesco Clubcard, which allows shoppers to receive special discounts on selected items as well as rack up points they can redeem later as vouchers for use in-store.

Customers can use their Clubcard vouchers to bring down the cost of their weekly shop or fuel, treat themselves to money-off at more than 100 Reward Partners including Pizza Express and Spa Seekers or pick up a new deal with Tesco Mobile.

But while they are racking up points, many are forgetting to use them before they expire. Over two million Tesco customers have now been reminded to spend more than £16 million-worth of Clubcard vouchers before they expire at the end of February.

The vouchers, which were first issued in February 2021, will expire on 28 February 2023 and could instead be used to help out at a tough time of year for family budgets as inflation soars.

My colleague Thomas Kingsley reports:

Tesco issues six-day warning to anyone who uses a Clubcard

Former Sainsbury’s CEO says UK supermarkets have been ‘hurt horribly by Brexit’

Wednesday 22 February 2023 20:45 , Eleanor Noyce

UK supermarkets have been “hurt horribly by Brexit”, according to former Sainsbury’s CEO Justin King.

Speaking to LBC on Wednesday, Mr King addressed the fresh produce supply issues that have seen the likes of Tesco, Asda and Morrisons ration certain items.

Mr King added that UK greenhouses, previously known to grow tomatoes, have suffered in recent years.

“North Kent, in Thanet, [had] the largest greenhouses in Europe, which used to be full of peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes,” he explained.

“But those greenhouses have suffered... I hate to say it... but it’s a sector that’s been hurt horribly by Brexit.”

Watch:

Former Sainsbury’s CEO says UK supermarkets have been ‘hurt horribly by Brexit’

Supermarket food shortages: Europeans mock UK shoppers with pictures of shelves full of fruit and veg

Wednesday 22 February 2023 20:15 , Eleanor Noyce

People living in Europe are sharing pictures of their packed supermarket shelves to lay bare the reality of Britain’s recent food shortages.

British supermarkets have been hit with shortages since the weekend due to adverse weather, transport problems and other factors, with Morrisons admitting to a lack of tomatoes and shoppers reporting difficulties sourcing fresh vegetables in other supermarkets.

Asda announced it will be limiting customers to a maximum of three items such as tomatoes, peppers, lettuce and broccoli in response to the problem.

Aldi confirmed it has also begun rationing fresh produce, according to a spokesperson.

Meanwhile, Morrisons will also start a ban on more than two items tomorrow, limiting purchases of tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce and peppers.

My colleague Kate Plummer has more:

Supermarket rationing: Europeans mock UK shoppers with pictures of full shelves

Tesco employee reveals meaning behind ‘secret code’ offering fresh fruit and vegetables

Wednesday 22 February 2023 19:45 , Eleanor Noyce

British supermarkets throw away 100,000 still-edible food items every year, according to research from The Grocer, with the total waste tossed out by the UK as a whole enough to feed 30 million people a year.

Much of this comes from households chucking out everyday items bought fresh but not used in time, notably bread, milk and bananas, rather than businesses, but mass grocery retailers have taken steps to try and address the problem.

The rise of waste-cutting delivery services such as Oddbox is one example, another is supermarkets removing sell-by and use-by dates from the labels on packages of fruit and vegetables in a bid to reduce waste and encourage shoppers to judge for themselves whether they believe produce is still ready to use.

But for consumers still seeking reassurance about the age of the items they pick up in the fresh produce aisle, one TikTok user thinks they have cracked the code.

Joe Sommerlad reports:

Tesco employee reveals meaning behind ‘secret code’

How to save money on your weekly food shop – according to a finance expert

Wednesday 22 February 2023 19:15 , Eleanor Noyce

As supermarket shelves lay bare of fresh produce, is it possible to make savings elsewhere in the weekly food shop?

Shoppers face an extra £788 on their annual grocery bill because of grocery price inflation, retail analysts Kantar reported earlier this month.

Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar, said: “Households will now face an extra £788 on their annual shopping bills if they don’t change their behaviour to cut costs.”

So, how can we change our behaviour to save money while food shopping? Financial journalist Paul Lewis, presenter of BBC Radio 4’s Money Box and author of the new tie-in book, offers the following tips.

How to save money on your weekly food shop – according to a finance expert

Mother claims she’s been “barred” from buying too much fruit and veg in Lidl

Wednesday 22 February 2023 18:38 , Eleanor Noyce

A mother has claimed she’s been “barred” from Lidl after attempting to purchase 100 cucumbers.

Lisa Fearns runs a juicing business, producing detox drinks. She’s been buying this number of cucumbers from Lidl each week for the past three weeks.

At the check-out on Sunday, a manager rushed over to Ms Fearns and informed her that she would not be able to make this purchase. She remarked that it subsequently took her two hours and five different supermarkets to complete her shop, noting that it usually takes her 15 minutes.

Lisa, from Kirby, Merseyside, wrote on social media: “I’ve been going every week on a Sunday for three years. I get there at 10am because I need the cucumbers to be fresh then I make juices in the day.

“I get funny looks when I’m in the supermarket, people look at me like ‘what are you doing?’ “I needed 100 cucumbers. The manager came running out of the back saying I’m buying too much fruit and veg and I can’t purchase that much. They didn’t want my custom so I said I’d take my custom to Aldi.

“I’m stressed about what I’m going to do every week. I’m going to have to find a pleasant, happy, fruit and vegetable store that would like to take my business.

“There’s going to be a battle in the shops.”

Which supermarkets are rationing tomatoes and other fresh food products?

Wednesday 22 February 2023 18:30 , Eleanor Noyce

Supply issues are leaving UK supermarkets with shortages of tomatoes and other fresh produce.

Due to a combination of factors including bad weather and transport problems in Africa and Europe and supply chain issues, shoppers have been met with empty shelves since last weekend.

Products impacted include citrus fruit including oranges and lemons, brassicas such as broccoli and cauliflower and salad crops such as cucumbers, lettuce and tomatoes.

These are the supermarkets affected so far:

Which supermarkets are rationing tomatoes and other fresh food products?

Which fruits and vegetables are impacted by the shortages?

Wednesday 22 February 2023 17:50 , Eleanor Noyce

The problem started with tomatoes but has since widened to peppers, cucumbers, lettuce, salad bags, broccoli, cauliflower and raspberries.

Tesco and Aldi have introduced limits of three per customer on sales of tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers.

Asda is limiting customers to three on sales of lettuce, salad bags, broccoli, cauliflowers and raspberry punnets, along with tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers.

Morrisons has set a limit of two on cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce and peppers.

What is causing the food shortages?

Wednesday 22 February 2023 17:19 , Eleanor Noyce

Difficult weather conditions in the south of Europe and northern Africa have disrupted the harvest for some fruit and vegetables including tomatoes and peppers.

In the winter months the UK imports around 95% of its tomatoes and 90% of its lettuces, most of it from Spain and north Africa.

However, 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.

The UK also gets some produce at this time of year from domestic growers and the Netherlands, but producers in both countries have reported cutting back on their use of greenhouses because of high energy prices.

Meanwhile, the “disastrous” Conservative government and Brexit have worsened Britain’s food shortages, a farming group has said.

In a video shared this morning, Save British Farming chair Liz Webster said: “The reason that we have food shortages in Britain, and that we don’t have food shortages in Spain – or anywhere else in the European Union – is because of Brexit, and also because of this disastrous Conservative government that has no interest in food production, farming or even food supply.”

Tesco joins Aldi in rationing fruit and vegetables over supply shortages

Wednesday 22 February 2023 17:00 , Emily Atkinson

Tesco has joined other supermarkets in limiting sales of certain fruit and vegetables as shortages have left shelves stripped bare.

Britain’s biggest supermarket has introduced a cap of three items per customer on tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers.

Aldi, Asda and Morrisons have already started restricting the totals each customer is allowed after extreme weather hit harvests abroad.

Asda has introduced a customer limit of three on tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, lettuce, salad bags, broccoli, cauliflower and raspberries.

Jane Dalton has more:

Tesco joins Aldi in rationing fruit and vegetables amid supply shortages

Europeans mock UK shoppers with pictures of shelves full of fruit and veg

Wednesday 22 February 2023 16:20 , Emily Atkinson

People living in Europe are sharing pictures of their packed supermarket shelves to lay bare the reality of Britain’s recent food shortages.

British supermarkets have been hit with shortages since the weekend due to adverse weather, transport problems and other factors, with Morrisons admitting to a lack of tomatoes and shoppers reporting difficulties sourcing fresh vegetables in other supermarkets.

Asda announced it will be limiting customers to a maximum of three items such as tomatoes, peppers, lettuce and broccoli in response to the problem.

Kate Plummer reports:

Supermarket rationing: Europeans mock UK shoppers with pictures of full shelves

Tesco joins rivals in rationing salad vegetables

Wednesday 22 February 2023 15:39 , Emily Atkinson

Tesco has followed Asda, Morrisons and Aldi by imposing customer purchase limits on salad vegetables after supplies were hit by disrupted harvests in southern Europe and north Africa.

Tesco has introduced a buying limit of three items per customer on tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers.

Therese Coffey booed by farmers after refusing accept food shortage failure

Wednesday 22 February 2023 15:30 , Emily Atkinson

Tory cabinet minister Therese Coffey was booed by farmers after she refused to accept that the Britain’s supply chain – hit by widespread food shortages – had seen market failure.

The environment secretary rejected responsibility for the current supermarket rationing of fruit and vegetables, saying: “We can’t control the weather in Spain.”

Ms Coffey clashed National Farmers’ Union (NFU) president Minette Batters on the food supply crisis at the organisation’s conference in Birmingham on Thursday.

Our political correspondent Adam Forrest has more:

Therese Coffey booed by farmers after refusing to accept food shortage failure

Watch: Brexit to blame for food shortages in Britain, chair of Save British Food says

Wednesday 22 February 2023 14:50 , Emily Atkinson

Shortage of tomatoes widening to more products and likely to last ‘weeks’

Wednesday 22 February 2023 14:10 , Emily Atkinson

A shortage of tomatoes affecting UK supermarkets is widening to other fruit and vegetables and is likely to last weeks, retailers have warned.

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.

Shortage of tomatoes widening to more products and likely to last ‘weeks’

Aldi joins Asda and Morrisons in rationing fresh produce

Wednesday 22 February 2023 14:06 , Eleanor Noyce

Aldi has joined Asda and Morrisons in rationing fresh produce.

“We are limiting purchases of peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes to three units per person to ensure that as many customers as possible can buy what they need”, an Aldi spokesperson told The Mirror.

Watch: Martin Lewis reveals how to get £5 off at Asda and Lidl

Wednesday 22 February 2023 13:30 , Emily Atkinson

Supermarkets 'making error in scrapping delis despite squeezed profits’

Wednesday 22 February 2023 12:50 , Emily Atkinson

Supermarkets are making a “mistake” by scrapping services like fresh food counters and underestimating discounters like Aldi, analysts have warned as Tesco becomes the latest chain to announce a shake-up of its stores.

The UK’s largest supermarket revealed that about 2,100 jobs are at risk amid plans to shut its remaining counters and hot delis, and a number of in-store pharmacies.

The move follows rival chain Asda announcing earlier this month it is reducing pay for more than 4,000 night workers and cutting down staff hours across its in-store Post Office shops.

More here:

Supermarkets making error in scrapping delis despite squeezed profits – analyst

How to save money on your weekly food shop – according to a finance expert

Wednesday 22 February 2023 12:10 , Emily Atkinson

Shoppers face an extra £788 on their annual grocery bill because of grocery price inflation, retail analysts Kantar reported this week.

Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar, said: “Households will now face an extra £788 on their annual shopping bills if they don’t change their behaviour to cut costs.”

So, how can we change our behaviour to save money while food shopping? Financial journalist Paul Lewis, presenter of BBC Radio 4’s Money Box and author of the new tie-in book, offers the following tips…

How to save money on your weekly food shop – according to a finance expert

Supermarket rationing: What products are affected and why?

Wednesday 22 February 2023 11:30 , Emily Atkinson

Two supermarket chains have started rationing selected fruit and vegetables as supply issues caused empty shelves across the country.

Retailers have warned that the shortages could last for weeks as bad weather and transport problems in Africa and Europe have left supermarkets with a low supply of tomatoes and other fresh produce.

Growers and suppliers in Morocco have had to contend with cold temperatures, heavy rain, flooding and cancelled ferries over the past few 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 bad weather.

Martha McHardy reports:

Which supermarket products are suffering shortages and why?

‘Disastrous’ Tories and Brexit ‘to blame for food shortages’

Wednesday 22 February 2023 10:51 , Emily Atkinson

The “disastrous” Tory government and Brexit are to blame for Britain’s food shortages, activists say.

It comes as UK supermarkets have started rationing selected fruit and vegetables as supply issues leave shelves empty across the country.

In a social media video shared this morning, Save British Farming chair Liz Webster said: “I keep hearing that Spain is being blamed for the food shortages in Britain, and this is just absolute nonsense.

“The reason that we have food shortages in Britain and that we don’t have food shortages in Spain – or anywhere else in the European Union – is because of Brexit, and also because of this disastrous Conservative government that has no interest in food production, farming or even food supply

“That’s why we are in this mess.

“The Conservatives with their Brexit messed up our trade. This also impacted our labour supply because it ended freedom of movement. It also removed the cap and food subsidies.

“Then add on top of that the Ukraine war, Covid and inflation. All of this predicted and predictable. We have been telling them they need to act on it.

“But they didn’t do that and now it’s too late to do anything .”

She went on: “The only option now to cure the food shortage problem now is to make sure we get back in the single market and customs union as quickly as possible.

“That is the only quick fix open now.”

Basic groceries up by 30% as supermarket trust plummets

Wednesday 22 February 2023 10:02 , Emily Atkinson

The price of basic groceries such as butter, milk and cheese went up 30% year-on-year at some supermarkets in December, figures show.

While overall food and drink inflation reached 15% in December across the eight major supermarkets, butters and spreads rose by an “astonishing” 29.4%, according to tracking by consumer group Which?

Milk was 26.3% more expensive than a year before, while cheese (22.3%), bakery items (19.5%), water (18.6%) and savoury pies, pastries and quiches (18.5%) also saw higher-than-average price increases.

More here:

Basic groceries up by 30% as supermarket trust plummets – Which?

Supply ‘hurt horribly by Brexit,’ says former Sainsbury’s CEO

Wednesday 22 February 2023 09:25 , Emily Atkinson

Former Sainsbury’s CEO Justin King acknowledged supply has been affected by poor weather abroad, but has also been “hurt horribly by Brexit”.

Mr King told LBC that UK greenhouses, previously known to grow tomatoes, have suffered in recent years.

“These are products that we do produce, or in the past have produced year round in the UK,” Mr King said.

He continued: “North Kent, in Thanet, [had] the largest greenhouses in Europe, which used to be full of peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes.

“But those greenhouses have suffered, really, from two big things. I hate to say it, but it’s a sector that’s been hurt horribly by Brexit.”

Mr King also asserted that the supermarket industry had suffered from the government’s decision to exclude it from its energy support scheme.

Watch: Shelves left bare after supply issues lead to supermarket rations

Wednesday 22 February 2023 09:08 , Emily Atkinson

Tesco issues six-day warning to anyone who uses a Clubcard

Wednesday 22 February 2023 08:25 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Tesco has issued a voucher-expiry warning to its Clubcard customers as food prices remain at painfully high levels – with consumer expert Martin Lewis chiming in to offer a hack of his own.

More than 20 million people in the UK currently hold a Tesco Clubcard, which allows shoppers to receive special discounts on selected items as well as rack up points they can redeem later as vouchers for use in-store.

Customers can use their Clubcard vouchers to bring down the cost of their weekly shop or fuel, treat themselves to money-off at more than 100 Reward Partners including Pizza Express and Spa Seekers or pick up a new deal with Tesco Mobile.

Thomas Kingsley reports:

Tesco issues six-day warning to anyone who uses a Clubcard

How to save money on your weekly food shop?

Wednesday 22 February 2023 07:50 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Shoppers face an extra £788 on their annual grocery bill because of grocery price inflation, retail analysts Kantar said.

Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar, said: “Households will now face an extra £788 on their annual shopping bills if they don’t change their behaviour to cut costs.”

So, how can we change our behaviour to save money while food shopping?

Financial journalist Paul Lewis, presenter of BBC Radio 4’s Money Box and author of the new tie-in book, offers the following tips…

• Be aware of psychological ploys

• Make a list

Read more here.

How to save money on your weekly food shop – according to a finance expert

Extreme weather conditions behind shortage, says supermarket director

Wednesday 22 February 2023 07:20 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

James Bailey, the executive director of supermarket Waitrose, said extreme weather rather than Brexit was to blame for the shortage of produce.

“It’s been snowing and hailing in Spain, it was hailing in North Africa last week - that is wiping out a large proportion of those crops,” he told LBC radio.

“Give it about a fortnight and the other growing seasons in other parts of the world will have caught up and we should be able to get that supply back in.”

Where are the tomatoes?

Wednesday 22 February 2023 06:50 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Britain is facing a shortage of vegetables, particularly tomatoes, after supermarket supplies were hit by disrupted harvests in southern Europe and north Africa.

Grocers said the situation was exacerbated by less winter production in greenhouses in Britain and the Netherlands due to high energy costs.

Though largely self-sufficient in the summer, Britain typically imports 95 per cent of its tomatoes and 90 per cent of its lettuces from December to March, according to BRC data.

Asda, Britain’s third largest grocer, said it had introduced a temporary three-pack limit for purchases of tomatoes, while rival Morrisons said it would impose a cap of two items per customer.

Supermarkets ration fruit and vegetables with warning over panic buying

Wednesday 22 February 2023 06:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Supermarkets across the UK have begun rationing fresh food items in a move that 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 from today, with limited produce including tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce and peppers.

Rich Booth and Eleanor Noyce report.

Supermarket issues warning as it rations fruit and vegetables

Why supermarkets had empty shelves over the weekend

Tuesday 21 February 2023 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

Tuesday 21 February 2023 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

Tuesday 21 February 2023 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

Tuesday 21 February 2023 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

Tuesday 21 February 2023 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

Tuesday 21 February 2023 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

Tuesday 21 February 2023 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

Tuesday 21 February 2023 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

Tuesday 21 February 2023 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

Tuesday 21 February 2023 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

Tuesday 21 February 2023 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?

Tuesday 21 February 2023 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?

Tuesday 21 February 2023 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

Tuesday 21 February 2023 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

Tuesday 21 February 2023 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.