The British trade association believes the problems could continue for a few more weeks. Some retailers want to avoid backlog.
Purchasing restrictions on tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers continue to spread across the UK. Discount chain Aldi also imposed restrictions on consumers on Wednesday, following its competitors Asda and Morrisons. The reason is crop failures in southern Europe and North Africa, purchases of hamsters apparently should be stopped. At Aldi, consumers can only buy three units of each type – so all customers can continue to stock up, Aldi said.
Asda, number three in the UK market, has previously issued similar restrictions – but they also apply to salads and cauliflower. At competitor Morrisons, there are only two units per customer.
Lower harvests in Morocco and Spain
The British trade association believes problems with supplies of tomatoes and other produce could continue for a few weeks. The UK relies heavily on imports during the winter season. About 95 percent of tomatoes are imported from December to March. However, extreme weather has affected crops in Morocco and Spain.
According to a market report by the Federal Food and Agriculture Agency, tomato prices in Germany are on the rise. Spanish, Turkish and Moroccan fruits dominated the stores, while Italian and Dutch cherry tomatoes completed the offer. However, imports from Morocco have become less important. In the case of bell pepper, record prices were occasionally announced.
(APA/Portal)