![]() This tends to be a winter deal for produce from Spain and Morocco and a summer deal for UK produce. Tim O'Malley says retailers in the UK tend to agree prices once or twice a year so they and shoppers can get certainty on price. Why are European supermarkets not suffering from shortages?Įxperts say that it is because of the way that British supermarkets buy produce compared to those on the continent. It's not possible to grow cauliflowers in January in the United Kingdom unless you grow them in a greenhouse.' 'It's very difficult for UK producers to grow cauliflowers, for example over winter. 'This can damage a lot of the salad and brassica crops, which we have traditionally relied on at this time of year so that has created a gap in the market. He added: 'It's not about Brexit - it's about different buying models'.įarming minister Mark Spencer said at the NFU conference yesterday: 'What has driven some of this is a frost in Morocco and Spain in November and December. He said: 'I can honestly say that in the 40 years I've been in this trade, I've never seen such high spot prices across such a broad range of products for such a prolonged period of time.' While some critics have cited red tape on imports from Europe, industry expert Mr O'Malley said the single biggest factor behind the crisis was 'Mother Nature'. ![]() The problem started with tomatoes but has since widened to peppers, cucumbers, lettuce, salad bags, broccoli, cauliflower and raspberries. High energy prices - linked to Russia's invasion of Ukraine - are also a factor because it has become more expensive to heat greenhouses. Growers in Spain and elsewhere on the Continent are reportedly sending produce to European supermarkets rather than to the UK because they are more willing to pay the higher prices. Tim O'Malley, of major importer Nationwide Produce, said volatile growing conditions had seen wholesale spot prices for fresh produce lines soar by as much as 300 per cent. Some critics have cited red tape on post-Brexit imports from the EU as an issue. The supply problems are blamed on bad weather and high energy costs making greenhouses more costly to heat. Cold weather in Spain and Morocco has drastically hit the availability of vegetables in British markets along with soaring energy prices.
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