Vegetable and fruit prices are rising in the UK

There is a shortage of vegetables and fruits in England. Now many large food chains have started rationing fresh produce like lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers. Lidl, for example, has introduced a maximum of three peppers per customer.

The shortage has been in place for weeks, with the country’s Environment and Food Minister Therese Coffey telling Britons to eat turnips instead of other vegetables.

– This is an example of a politician who is out of touch with reality and says that the British who like tomatoes and cucumbers are spoiled. So nothing goes beyond that report, says foreign correspondent Petra Nordlund McGahn.

“We see no risks”

The reasons for the shortage are many, with local farmers reducing production in greenhouses as a result of poor harvests in many vegetable-producing countries and increased electricity costs. Plus, Brexit has made the whole thing more difficult.

In Sweden, prices have risen but there is no shortage of fruit and vegetables, says Karin Brunell, CEO of Swedish Grocery Retail. And it’s not on the map that it will start rationing.

– We don’t see those risks, but we can see consumers starting to think it’s too expensive. What used to be staple vegetables are now very expensive and quantities are dwindling, says Karin Brunel.

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