British supermarket chain Asda has decided to impose Limits on purchases of some fruits and vegetables in response to the shortage of supply of fresh products that the United Kingdom is facing due to the crisis in the supply from Spain and North Africa as a consequence of the impact of low temperatures on production.
Thus, the retail distribution chain, the third largest in the UKhas determined that each client will be able to acquire only a maximum of three units of a number of products such as tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower and bags of salad.
“Like other supermarkets, we are experiencing sourcing challenges in some products grown in southern Spain and north Africa”, explained an Asda spokesperson.
In addition to Asda, the Morrisons supermarket chain has also decided to limit the number of products purchased by each customer from tomorrow, a spokesman confirmed to the news agency. Europe Press.
“At Morrisons, starting tomorrow we will set maximum limits of two items per customer in tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce and peppers,” he explained.
In this sense, the British chain stressed that the growing season in the United Kingdom is entering, therefore, “in addition to find alternatives to production from Spain and North Africa”, Morrisons anticipates that more British products will soon be seen on the shelves.
Along these lines, Andrew Opie, director of Food and Sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, explained that difficult weather conditions in southern Europe and northern Africa have interrupted the harvest of some fruits and vegetables, including tomatoes and peppers.
“While the outage is expected to last a few weeks, supermarkets are experts in managing supply chain issues and are working with farmers to ensure that customers can access a wide range of fresh products”defended the expert.
For his part, the director of supermarkets waitroseJames Bailey, attributed to the station LBC this situation to “an extraordinary meteorological phenomenon in Spain” since the producers of the United Kingdom “have not turned on their greenhouses due to the high prices of energy”.
According to the estimates of the British Retail Consortium, the UK normally imports 95% of its tomatoes and 90% of its lettuce between December and March.
For his part, the director of Nationwide Produce, Tim O’Malley, warned last week that the biggest problem in the sector “is not inflation, it is Mother Nature.”
“We are seeing empty shelves now and I can only see that it will get worse in the coming weeks and months,” he stated in relation to the situation in the retail sector, while anticipating that there will continue to be difficulties regarding wholesale food service.
On her side, the president of the English and Welsh farmers grouped in the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), Minette Batters, pointed out on Tuesday the difficulties that the Rising energy prices and labor shortages represent for UK food safety.
In this regard, he pointed out that UK egg production has fallen to its lowest level in nine yearswhile production of salad ingredients such as tomatoes and cucumbers is forecast to fall to the lowest levels since records began in 1985.
Likewise, in statements collected by skynewsBatters warned that “there will be challenges in the availability of some foods,” including peppers and other greenhouse-grown salad greens.
(With information from EuropaPress)
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Source-www.infobae.com