Pensioners forum LetsChat

'Cost of Net Zero' — Fruit and Vegetable Rationing in Britain Could Last Until May, Warn Farmers

Shortages of fruits and vegetables in British supermarkets could last for months, according to a leading farmers' organisation, amid a poor growing season in Spain in combination with sky-high energy prices.

Over the past week, four major British supermarkets, Aldi, Asda, Morrisons, and Tesco, have all resorted to instituting rationing measures for certain products, with shortages of items such as cucumbers, peppers, and tomatoes hitting the shelves.

The Lea Valley Growers Association (LVGA), which has around 80 members in the Essex, Hertfordshire, and Greater London region and typically account for 75 per cent of the British cucumber and pepper crops, told the BBC that poor weather conditions in North Africa and Spain have impacted imports and the high cost of energy saw many British farmers delay planting some crops.

"Half of our growers didn't grow last year, and half of our growers are not growing this year, and that's because they couldn't secure an increased price from the supermarkets to cover the increased cost of energy and fertiliser, and inputs that they needed in order to make a profit and make a living on the produce grown," the secretary of the LVGA Lee Stiles said.

"It's too late for UK growers to step in and try and make up some of the shortfall," he added. "If we planted tomatoes, peppers and aubergines in December, we would be picking now. And if we planted cucumbers in the first week of January like we normally do, we'd be picking on Valentine's Day as usual."

"The majority of tomatoes, peppers and aubergines are not going to be around in big volumes until May, so it's going to be longer than a few weeks," Stiles said, contradicting Environment Secretary Therese Coffey, who predicted that the shortages would only last another month.

Full story https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2023/02/26/cost-of-net-zero-fruit-and-vegetable-rationing-in-britain-could-last-until-may-warn-farmers/

Government flummuxed. Installing more windmills is the answer says Boris - it has to be - Carrie said it is.

thankfully, apart from spuds, mushrooms (both mostly tinned), and frozen mixed veg, I'm not a vegetable person - but I feel for those who are

I have my Kitchen Garden and Greenhouse thank goodness. Dunc will have to plant the KC this year as I won't be able to, potatoes, carrots, onions, peas, beets, is what usually grows there and in the greenhouse it's tomatoes and cucumbers.

My little Co-op (round the corner) has fruit and veg.. 
I did notice that frozen veg only had peas.. So I bought Magnum(Almonds) instead..

Quote from: Scrumpy on February 27, 2023, 12:36:19 PMI did notice that frozen veg only had peas.. So I bought Magnum(Almonds) instead..

I'm not entirely convinced that the two are directly equivalent  :grin:

What happened to vegetables, particularly tomatoes from Guernsey ? :hmm: 

Probably sekking them to buyers who are prepared to pay an economic price. 

It's the supermarkets themselves to blame for this because they were not prepared to pay the high prices caused by Net Zero energy costs so the farmers here didn't grow the stuff. 

The supermarkets rely on JIT systems (Just In Time) , which occasionally fail. Loo rolls three years ago being an example. When supply is pinched by Suez blockages or harvest issues, they fall flat on their face.