A shortage of imported fruits and vegetables has forced supermarkets in Britain to impose restrictions on purchases, with farmers and retailers warning that the situation will worsen in light of the decline in domestic production.

Britain was initially suffering from a shortage of tomatoes only, but it spread to other types of fruits and vegetables, prompting retailers to impose restrictions on sales.

A report in The Times said severe weather in northern Africa and southern Europe had damaged crops that normally feed the UK during winter.

He added that the rise in gas prices led to a reduction in production in greenhouses (warm greenhouses) in Britain and the Netherlands.

In the face of the crisis of empty shelves, major British stores urged their customers not to purchase more than 3 packages of tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, lettuce, bags of salad, broccoli, cauliflower and berries, while other stores set specific quotas for each consumer to purchase some vegetables, according to the Times and Agence France-Presse.

A spokesman for "Asda" - one of the supermarket groups in Britain - referred to what he called "challenges from the source in obtaining some products" that are grown in the region.

"We have temporarily imposed a limit of 3 pieces of each product for a very small number of fruits and vegetables so that customers can get the products they are looking for," he added.

This procedure includes tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, lettuce, salad bags, broccoli, cauliflower, and berries.

For its part, the "Morrisons" chain of stores said that it will not allow any customer to buy more than two grains of tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce and peppers, starting today, Wednesday.


"Challenging weather conditions in southern Europe and North Africa have disrupted the harvest of some fruits and vegetables, including tomatoes and peppers," said Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the British Retailers' Association, a grouping that represents UK supermarkets.

He added that while the disruption was expected to last for a few weeks, the stores were working with farmers to manage supply issues, to ensure customers had access to a wide range of fresh produce.

A report by Agence France-Presse said that these conditions came after farmers and suppliers in Morocco spoke of difficult conditions represented by low temperatures, heavy rains and floods in recent weeks, which affected the volume of production.

Bad weather, which also affected farmers in southern Spain, also led to the cancellation of ferry services, exacerbating supply problems.

Production decline

The Times report quoted Minette Butters, president of the National Farmers Union, as saying that domestic supplies are at risk of being affected by higher energy prices.

She added that British farmers should use greenhouses to grow salad crops, at a time when production has fallen to its lowest level in 40 years.

Butters told the annual National Farmers' Union conference in Birmingham on Monday that farmers "froze a lot of their businesses, so we're seeing a massive contraction".


The National Farmers Union said the impact of energy costs on producers was a major factor, warning that restrictions on purchases could become a persistent phenomenon.

According to the Times report, farmers have complained of a lack of seasonal labor after Britain's exit from the European Union.

price increases

One of the largest farmers said "serious shortages and price hikes" were likely to continue for weeks, adding that consumers should prepare for further price increases.

He pointed out that the high temperatures in the summer and the severe drop in the winter during the last period caused damage to many crops, and he said that these factors are likely to cause shortages for several months.

Minute Butters warned last December that the country could face a food crisis if the government did not take any action.

She called for support for farmers in the face of rising energy and fertilizer prices and costs, "otherwise the country may face a potential food crisis."

"At that time, I fear that with the future of British fruit and vegetable supplies at risk, the country will face an even greater food supply crisis," she said.