The U.K is also suffering from a similar situation that Pakistan is going through. There is a shortage of fruits and vegetables here. The situation has become so bad that a limit has been fixed in the supermarket. The limit is that despite paying money, you cannot buy fruits and vegetables like potatoes, and tomatoes in large quantities. You can't buy more than 2 potatoes or tomatoes in some of Britain's biggest supermarkets Aldi and Asda . Tesco also is putting limits of three per customer on sales of tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers.
The UK is already facing a cost-of-living crisis, economic difficulties, and the possibility of a recession. With the food crisis, rationing of fruits and vegetables has begun, with Morrisons and Asda limiting sales of fresh produce. The purchase of perishables has been restricted to two or three items per customer.
Morrisons is expected to join Asda in implementing the ban, as empty aisles and shelves have been reported in stores across the UK. Other supermarkets are also considering similar measures, as supply issues are affecting the entire industry.
The shortage is due to poor foreign harvests and a domestic farming crisis. During winter, the UK imports around 90% of crops like cucumbers and tomatoes, which are important to keep supermarkets stocked during winter and spring. Britain produces only a small percentage of these crops during these months and ships the rest from overseas.
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Difficult weather in southern Europe and northern Africa has disrupted harvests, with Morocco and Spain, among Britain's major suppliers during winter, facing extraordinary weather conditions. The volume of fruits from Morocco has been hit by cold temperatures, heavy rain, flooding, and ferry cancellations. Spain's tomato volumes from the Almeria region are 22% lower than in February last year.
British horticultural production normally starts in late March or April, but domestic production has been affected by labor shortages and the rising cost of energy and fertilizers. Soaring energy bills have forced British farmers to switch off greenhouses as they struggle to meet expenses.
The shortage is expected to last weeks, with salad ingredients like tomatoes and cucumbers falling to the lowest level since records began in 1985. Farmers are warning against panic buying, with some blaming supermarkets for not supporting them enough and others blaming the government for not doing enough.