There has been a shortage of eggs on our supermarket shelves for months and now there are concerns about a national shortage of tomatoes. People have been posting pictures of empty shelves at several supermarkets across the UK. One shopper in Cardiff on Saturday night said she had been to three different supermarkets and couldn't find any.
The current tomato shortage in the UK is reportedly down to rising energy costs, with tomato growers struggling to afford to heat their greenhouses because of the expense, while adverse weather in Spain and Morocco – where most of our tomatoes come from – is affecting supplies. British Tomato Growers Association (BGTA) spokeswoman Julie Woolley told The Grocer: "Wholesale gas prices impact all growers and tomato availability is a global issue."
Dr Philip Morley, Horticulturalist and technical officer of the BTGA, also said inflation in other areas had hit tomato farmers hard, adding: “Rising fuel costs has meant transportation costs are now higher. Other input costs such as seeds, fertiliser, and feed have also increased between 100 and 400%. These are on top of the health checks on seeds entering the UK to rule out plant viruses that can affect crops. Those costs are also passed on to the grower."
UK tomato production is reliant on greenhouses being heated to 20°C. With the increase in energy prices some of the key producers have had to reduce to delay planting crops in a bid to be able to afford to grown them. The National Farmers' Union has confirmed these problems are currently affecting all fruit and vegetable growers across the UK – not just tomato farmers. President Minette Batters told the BBC: "British food is under threat... at a time when global volatility is threatening the stability of the world's food production, food security, and energy security. I fear the country is sleepwalking into further food supply crises with the future of British fruit and vegetable supplies in trouble."
Brexit is also an issue a more than 90% of tomatoes sold in supermarkets are imported. Before Spain was Britain's biggest supplier of tomatoes but it is now Morocco where most of the produce comes from. Morrisons supermarket has told shoppers that bad weather in the two countries has had an effect on supplies too.
A sign the store has put up for customers says: "Availability across our tomato range has been significantly impacted by adverse weather conditions across Spain and Morocco. The current shortage is likely to improve within a couple of weeks."
The growing of tomatoes in Morocco has been affected by a 'perfect storm' of flooding, cold temperatures, and cancelled ferries, according to importers and reported in Fresh Produce Journal. The supply from Spain has also been affected by the weather with stocks from Almeria down 22% during a three-week period compared to last year.
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