Oh yes, we have no tomatoes !

Is it because food is such an emotive subject, particularly with our neighbours across the channel, that the inflated language they are reading like "crise alimentaire", "en danger", "une situation d'urgence" just turns the whole thing into a silly competition? One photo of a few empty crates in Tesco is not the way I am seeing things in South West England and DD in Essex reports no issues either. It's not a nationwide catastrophe, or a disaster.

Himself has just come up from Sainsbury’s with some Taste the Difference vine tomatoes. Grown in the Netherlands. I suggested he sell them on eBay!
😁

Anyone who denies food shortages are mainly brexit related are deluded.
There are 3 main problems that are responsible:-
1 The UK is growing less, as the shortage of EU pickers makes it uneconomical.
2 The cost of energy is much higher in the UK than the EU so many greenhouse growers of mainly salad crops are not bothering.
3 The EU growers are no longer finding the UK market profitable with transport costs, massive paperwork requirements and hours of extra delays at ports etc.
A post on twitter this morning shows a supermarket in Kiev full to the brim of fruit, vegetables and salad.
Let that sink in.

For a price in the Dordogne, cauliflower €4.50, cucumbers €1.59.

Of course it is! It is not the whole problem, but certainly a big part of it. There are no shortages in the EU, apart from maybe Ireland. I know the Governement and their poodle press and TV want you to think there are, but ...

Denial is just daft, sorry.

I was listening to farming world at silly o’clock this morning and 3 different people involved in food production all agreed that Brexit was part of the problem.
Had it not happened we wouldn’t be in this situation, it’s just too much time and trouble to get food over here so they are doing business with mainland Europe. It’s quicker and easier. Hence no shortage despite weather in Spain and morocco.
We had best to get used to it.

MawtheMerrier

^The thing that puzzles me is that if Brexit controls are only a small part of the problems, why are our shelves full and yours empty?^
As you will have read, they are not.
It made for good headlines Mamie - reports of this so called “crisis” were as usual greatly exaggerated and predictably fuelled the catastrophist arguments of some political factions (and GN posters)

Yes I don't doubt it was patchy, but I was judging by the reports of friends and family across the UK and the pictures of empty shelves.
Equally people were trying to make out that Spanish weather was responsible for shortages across mainland Europe which was clearly untrue. I will rephrase: "why is it worse in the UK than elsewhere in Europe?"

MawtheMerrier

^The thing that puzzles me is that if Brexit controls are only a small part of the problems, why are our shelves full and yours empty?^
As you will have read, they are not.
It made for good headlines Mamie - reports of this so called “crisis” were as usual greatly exaggerated and predictably fuelled the catastrophist arguments of some political factions (and GN posters)

😁

I think there's been a fair bit of catastrophising!

The thing that puzzles me is that if Brexit controls are only a small part of the problems, why are our shelves full and yours empty?
As you will have read, they are not.
It made for good headlines Mamie - reports of this so called “crisis” were as usual greatly exaggerated and predictably fuelled the catastrophist arguments of some political factions (and GN posters)

Grannygravy same in my local Aldi this morning. Lots of tomatoes and cucumbers but almost no eggs

I wonder if Aldi and Lidl have their supply chains better organised than some? They should be pretty good at pan-European logistics.

Yes, we have tomatoes, DH bought some in Tesco this morning. I don't eat them often.

Tomatoes, cucumbers & peppers in local Aldi this morning.

Not many eggs though, big sign explaining shortages due to Avian Flu.

I think the shortages are once again regional.

Joseanne

Of course there's a Brexit element to most things back and forth across the Channel. I now have to get 13 pages of forms filled in by my vet at a great cost to take the dog abroad and have to allow extra time at the ferry port. It's an inconveience and an added expense which you pay for or go without, (or wangle the system). I can't get het up about it, it is what it is. Same for tomatoes in February.

I gather from the euro courrier moving furniture has just got a whole lot more complicated too.
I agree that we just have to live with the complications for the moment though some things like the fact that our family can't now send us presents without extra duty and charges does still hurt.
The thing that puzzles me is that if Brexit controls are only a small part of the problems, why are our shelves full and yours empty? Surely a minor inconvenience would only have a minor impact?

It's worth reading this. I'm so surprised that anyone expects the same vegetable or fruit to be available all the year round. I really think we need to rethink this expectation for our own health, and more importantly, the health of the planet.

www.rocketgardens.co.uk/our-thoughts-on-the-food-shortage/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Weekly%20Veg%20Out%20-%20250223&utm_content=Weekly%20Veg%20Out%20-%20250223+CID_98e3ee5114e2ecf18f4a4e0fe58cd307&utm_source=VegOut&utm_term=Read%20on

Of course there's a Brexit element to most things back and forth across the Channel. I now have to get 13 pages of forms filled in by my vet at a great cost to take the dog abroad and have to allow extra time at the ferry port. It's an inconveience and an added expense which you pay for or go without, (or wangle the system). I can't get het up about it, it is what it is. Same for tomatoes in February.

From the article;
"Navigating extra Brexit-imposed cost and bureaucracy of getting the fresh fruit and vegetables across the Channel is clearly proving too costly for some producers, which is why tomatoes are reaching supermarkets in France, Belgium or the Netherlands but not Britain. "
Which is what I said up thread. Fits with the reports from exporters in the EU saying waiting 70 hours for checks is proving too costly. Not much good for the tomatoes either one imagines.

Morning Casdon thank you for the fact check. Seems we are in a similar situation to the Republic of Ireland then and things will improve in a couple of weeks. I think we can all cope with that!
😊

Fleurpepper

Plenty of produce for the local market and shipping to EU friends. There are NO shortages in EU.

No-one said it is all due to Brexit, but to state it has nothing to do with it, is just plain nonsense. When there is a shortage, you do the sensible thing- sell to nearest, dearest, easiest.

Just for you Fleurpepper.
www.euronews.com/green/2023/02/24/fact-check-is-brexit-to-blame-for-britains-fruit-and-vegetable-shortages

No tomatoes in Sainsbury’s or M+S when I went this week, but we’ve got a few left from last weekend. It wouldn’t bother me if we didn’t still have any left, I can quite easily live without tomatoes. There are more important things going on. I’m very grateful that I don’t live in Ukraine or Turkey or Syria this week, they’ve got more to worry them than tomatoes.
When did we become so entitled?

Reasonable stock in Asda today, not vast choice but perfectly acceptable. Tomatoes were grown in Kent.

Plenty of produce for the local market and shipping to EU friends. There are NO shortages in EU.

No-one said it is all due to Brexit, but to state it has nothing to do with it, is just plain nonsense. When there is a shortage, you do the sensible thing- sell to nearest, dearest, easiest.

By the way, plenty of peppers & tomatoes in Sainsbury’s this morning here in Urmston. I think Asda & Morrison seem to be suffering the most - anecdotal take on things from my friends.

Try the BBC online site Deeda
Not everything is Brexit related.I didn’t vote for it but the reasons put down to it sometimes are ridiculous.

Plenty of salad stuff in Spain my sister says. Tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers etc but as she said there’s been torrential rain in January. Plenty of produce for the local market but just not enough supplies to fulfil shipping orders.

Ordinary consumers here can manage easily for a month. We won’t starve just have to choose different stuff. Gin, tonic & a slice of turnip anybody?
🤣

Obviously this is a bigger problem for restaurants but hey, it happens. Coffey, clever though she is, cannot control the Rain in Spain.

We need to get over our entitled mindsets and be grateful we don’t live in parts of Ukraine. This will sort. The weather will pick up and imports here will be honoured once again soon. It’s Not Brexit. Even though some on here want it to be so.