Shortages of tomatoes and peppers on UK supermarket shelves are set to last “weekly”, retailers have warned, as the National Farmers’ Union says domestic production is falling across the agricultural sector from salads to eggs.
Supermarket Asda said on Tuesday it was rationing fruit and vegetable purchases after bad weather in southern Europe and northern Africa disrupted the harvest of some crops.
As pictures emerged of empty supermarket shelves across the country, the UK Retail Consortium, the trade body, said the disruption was “expected for several weeks”.
Agriculture Minister Mark Spencer told reporters at the NFU’s annual conference that the shortage was caused by “frost in Morocco and Spain in November and December, which destroyed a lot of salad and brassica crops, which we usually rely on for imports. this year”.
But NFU president Minette Batters told the event that supplies of salad vegetables grown in UK greenhouses were also falling because high energy prices were uneconomic for some farmers to operate.
The farmers of salad crops previously operated throughout the year, although at a lower level in the winter. Batters called on the government to support energy costs through an exemption scheme for energy-intensive industries, which excludes farmers.
“For the protected farmer, the grower [crops] on the cover, gas prices mean they are mothballing many businesses, “he said. “We are seeing a big contraction – the lowest level of production since 1985, when records began.”
Batters added that post-Brexit cuts to agricultural subsidies, combined with rising prices for raw materials, labor and energy, led to a drop in production in other areas of agriculture, including eggs. Almost 1bn fewer eggs are produced in 2022 than in 2019.
“Other sectors face an uncertain future right away [subsidy] payments are eliminated against the backdrop of high cost inflation,” he said.
Asda said it would allow customers to buy no more than three in a line of products including tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, lettuce, salad bags, broccoli, cauliflower and raspberries.
“Like other supermarkets, we are experiencing sourcing challenges in some products grown in southern Spain and northern Africa,” Asda said.
The BRC said: “While the disruption is expected to last for several weeks, supermarkets can manage supply chain issues and work with farmers to ensure customers have access to a wide range of fresh produce.”
The shortfall emerged as an audience of farmers at the NFU congress subjected Spencer to tough questions on a range of post-Brexit policy issues, from less checks on incoming food products to farm subsidy plans.
Ministers on Tuesday announced they will give more than £168 million to farmers to fund innovation, changes in animal health and welfare, and environmental protection.
The Government was contacted to comment on the scope of the energy intensive industry exemption scheme.