Veg shortage is 'tip of the iceberg' lettuce

Deputy president Tom Bradshaw said reliance on imports has left the UK vulnerable to “shock weather events”.

- Berny Torre

FRUIT and vegetable shortages in supermarkets are “the tip of the iceberg”, the National Farmers’ Union has warned.

Soaring energy bills exacerbated by the war in Ukraine have also put off some UK vegetable growers, he added.

He said the UK has now “hit a tipping point” and needs to “take command of the food we produce” amid “volatility around the world” caused by the war in Europe and climate change.

It comes as the shortage of tomatoes in UK supermarkets has widened to other fruit and vegetables due to a combination of bad weather and transport problems in Africa and Europe.