First vegetables, now fruit: in Britain, bad weather and high energy costs during cultivation make supply difficult.
According to farmers, apples and pears could also become scarce in Britain after vegetables. The shortage of some fruits and vegetables is just the “tip of the iceberg”, said NFU Vice President Tom Bradshaw on Saturday. “Retailers are doing everything they can to keep costs down during this cost of living crisis.” But farmers and breeders could not invest in future production.
The Guardian reported that fruit growers have planted just a third of the apple and pear trees needed to support Britain’s 5,500 hectares of production area. According to the apple and pear trade association, the main reason is “grocery store returns that are not sustainable”.
On Friday, British vegetable and fruit producers had already warned of a long crisis due to delivery problems for some foodstuffs. The reasons for the shortage are the unfavorable climate in the growing areas, as well as rising transport costs and energy prices. Several retailers, such as market leader Tesco and discount chain Aldi, have rationed the sale of some products, such as tomatoes and cucumbers, because of delivery difficulties.
(APA/dpa)