Picking some tender – stem broccoli to lightly stream and stir fry with cashew nuts tonight the forthcoming supermarkets’ restrictions of the sale of tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, cucumber, lettuce, raspberries and cauliflower seem further away.
Today (Wednesday) Tesco and Aldi joined Asda in limiting three items per customer and Morrison’s customers can only purchase two each of peppers, cucumber, tomatoes and lettuce.
There are some crops still awaiting harvest on vegetable plots and allotments including Brussels and winter cabbage. Some blanched cauliflower and put it in the freezer while many have jars of home – grown passata in the cupboard from last year.
The supply problems are a result of poor weather conditions in southern Spain, where apparently pepper sales are down 70 per cent and northern Africa with storms in the Mediterranean. While we’ve been sitting out in an unseasonably warm February back – up supplies from Morocco and Italy have also been affected by cool temperatures and storms.
In the Netherlands the amount of produce planted in heated greenhouses has also dropped as the systems have been shut down to reduce energy costs. Wholesale prices have gone up due to inflation.
Usually at this time of year 80 per cent of U.K. fruit and vegetables consumed from supermarkets comes from the area of Murcia in south eastern Spain and production here begins late March early April.
Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, said: “Difficult weather conditions in the south of Europe and northern Africa have disrupted harvest for some fruit and vegetables including tomatoes and peppers.
“While disruption is expected to last a few weeks, supermarkets are adept at managing supply chain issues and are working with farmers to ensure that customers are able to access a wide range of fresh produce.”
Whereas if you’ve got an allotment you can delve into your freezer for what’s left from last season as well as snip some purple sprouting broccoli.
Charnwood News 
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