Supply crisis on the island
Brits fear for tomatoes, cucumbers and pears
12/06/2022 2:22 p.m
At the end of November, fried eggs suddenly became a luxury item in Great Britain: In many supermarkets, sales had to be rationed because of bird flu. A regulation that may soon also apply to fruit and vegetables. British farmers suffer from high energy prices.
British farmers warn of supply problems in view of the enormous increase in energy prices. “The future of the UK’s fruit and vegetable supply is in trouble,” Minette Batters, president of the National Farmers’ Union, told the BBC. “I fear the country is sleepwalking into more food crises.”
So recent shortages on UK supermarket egg shelves may have been just the beginning. These were caused in part by a large outbreak of bird flu. Chains such as Tesco, Lidl and Asda therefore rationed sales and only allowed three packs per customer. Tomatoes, cucumbers and pears could now become scarce because their cultivation consumes a lot of energy. For the same reason, many pubs fear for their future.
For decades, consumers in the UK have been used to good quality food with high environmental and animal welfare standards at affordable prices, Batters said. This is in danger. The association called on the UK government to support farmers and breeders who have been hit hard by increased prices for fertiliser, feed, energy and fuel.
Ministry of Agriculture reassured
According to the PA news agency, the Ministry of Agriculture said that food security is guaranteed because it is built on various pillars – in addition to domestic breeding, imports are also relied on.
Food prices have risen significantly in the UK. Higher energy, pet food and transport costs drove food inflation to a record 12.4 percent in November, according to the retail association BRC and market research firm Nielsen IQ.