As vegetable supplies continue to be disrupted in Europe, after unfavorable weather hit key suppliers to the continent, especially Spain, the after effects are hitting certain countries harder than others. The lack of supply recently led to supermarkets in the UK rationing their supply of certain vegetables. But now prices are skyrocketing and opening up a black market for the high priced produce.
The UK wasn't the only one hit however by elevated produce prices. Lithuania has seen sharp rises as well. The shortage has led others to question their current reliance on food imports.
Rising costs of US imports
Speaking to The Sunday Times, Anthony Gardiner, marketing director for fresh food producer G’s, which supplies Tesco and Sainsbury’s, said: ‘Our main import is now from the Yuma Valley on the Californian-Mexican border where most American lettuce is grown at this time of year.
‘It’s way more expensive to fly a product in than freight it from Spain; that’s why you’ve seen prices more than double.’
The European supermarket industry has seen a sales fall of approximately £8million, market experts say. The sales of leafy vegetables have fallen by almost half since the first week of January. Courgette sales fell 58 per cent.
In many stores where the scarce vegetables are available, prices have rocketed, with courgettes, normally costing 45p, being sold for £1.90 and lettuces, normally 40p, costing £1.17.
Broccoli, normally around £1 per kg, was being sold for £5 per kg at a London Market and courgettes were also found selling for an extortionate £6 per kg.
Black market
Daily Caller reports that the current shortage in the supply of lettuce in the United Kingdom has led to a lettuce black market. Here, boxes of iceberg lettuce are being sold for $62.49 which is almost 10 times higher compared to its original cost $6.25.
The cold winter in Spain and in other southern regions of the EU nation has caused a reduction in crops. This led to several price hikes, particularly for lettuce. Other supermarkets have completely run out of supplies of courgettes and aubergines. Social media has been a platform being used by consumers nowadays to share their concerns.
The situation is also highlighting the UK's high reliance on foreign-imports.
Scotland
Scotland's farmers have warned that the over-reliance on food imports is risking the country’s food security. As shoppers faced empty supermarket shelves - bereft of certain fresh fruit and vegetables caused by bad weather on the Continent - National Farmers' Union Scotland’s Chief Executive Scott Walker said that it was a serious “wake-up call”.
At the Union’s annual meeting in Glasgow, Mr Walker told delegates that the share of UK-produced food had fallen dramatically over the last 25 years - so much so that the country’s food supplies would have run out by the summer if it relied solely on British food.
“UK food security levels have fallen from 75 percent in 1991 to 62 percent now and August 14 marks the day in the year when the British larder would be bare if we fed the nation only on British food.
Lithuania
Meanwhile, Maxima says that it is not experiencing vegetable shortages and Rimi, another major supermarket chain, says that prices for some imported vegetables in its stores have surged by 50% on average since the start of the year.
"The weather in Spain has been very bad lately. It has slightly improved now, but nights remain cold. We mostly buy tomatoes and sweet peppers from Spain. We feel that there is a shortage of products," Giedre Mikutaviciute, a purchasing coordinator at KVDP, told us.
According to Mikutaviciute, prices for vegetables imported from Spain have risen by around 20-30% compared with the end of 2016. The company currently is not importing iceberg lettuce as a sharp decline in supply has pushed the price of the vegetable up too high.
sources: baltic-course.com, heraldscotland.com, themissouriinjuryblog.com, thenorthernecho.co.uk, counselheal.com, internationalsupermarketnews.com
