Eat Turnips – Abroad – svenska.yle.fi

Britain’s major food chains are set to discuss with the government what to do to tackle vegetable shortages.

A shortage of fresh salad greens is now entering its third week in the UK. Fruit and vegetable shelves in supermarkets are empty.

Food and Agriculture Secretary Mark Spencer will meet the bosses of Britain’s major grocers later on Monday.

Last week, Britain’s biggest grocer, Tesco, followed Asda, Morrisons and Aldi in introducing a range of tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers that a customer could buy. On Monday, Lidl made the same decision.

Vegetable supplies have been affected by poor harvests in Southern Europe and North Africa. The high cost of energy has made it difficult to get domestic produce grown in greenhouses in the UK and the Netherlands.

Minister Spencer said the crisis now shows how dependent Britain can be on certain trade routes for certain foods.

Environment Minister Therese Coffey warned last week that the vegetable crisis could continue for another month. She was also mocked for suggesting that Britons who couldn’t get their hands on salad greens could switch to turnips instead.

It’s important to protect the specialties we have in this country, a lot of people may eat turnips now rather than thinking about lettuce and tomatoes, but I know consumers want year-round choices.

– Minister Therese Coffey

Source: Reuters